HAVE YOU TAKEN STEPS IN YOUR PRACTICE TO ENSURE THAT THE WATER YOU USE IS ACCEPTABLY CLEAN?
Forty percent of respondents to JADA’s November Question of the Month said yes, they have taken steps to ensure that the water used in their practices is acceptably clean.
Most respondents said they use self-contained systems with distilled water or filtered municipal water.
A few others said they also flush their water lines at various intervals—daily, weekly, monthly—with water, bleach or mouthwash.
Other respondents said that while they’ve taken steps to ensure that their water is clean, they don’t believe it really is necessary. "I did [take steps], but believe it is a waste of money," said one.
"This is completely blown out of proportion," said another reader. "What’s next—microfilter[ing] the air?"
"It’s much ado about nothing," said a couple of others.
Some readers said they first would like proof that there is a waterline problem. "As soon as there is published evidence of a serious public health risk, I’ll look into it," one said.
"When was there a problem with dental water-lines, where did it happen and what was the adverse affect on a patient?" asked another.
Others said they believe using tap water is fine. "Having a son in the water business has proved to me that the water in our lines is at least the same as that the patients drink," said one.
"Dental water lines have the same ‘biofilm’ that the patients’ home waterlines possess," said another.
Some questioned a connection between water-lines and the dentists who use them. "Why should dentists be expected to take care of a product liability problem?" asked a respondent. "The way I see it, it is the city, town and community water sources and dental equipment companies who are responsible for this ‘perceived’ problem."
Others said they are waiting for reliable, proven methods to be made available before they proceed. "I will not take any such action until there are products available for the purpose that have the ADA Seal," said a reader. "Until then, my water-lines are acceptably clean as is."
"Please help with guidelines," said another reader.
In December 1995, the ADA’s Board of Trustees adopted the ADA Statement on Dental Unit Waterlines. This statement set a goal for the year 2000, calling for the ability to reliably deliver treatment water of improved microbiological quality (< 200 colony-forming units of heterotrophic, mesophilic bacteria per milliliter of unfiltered output water) and for increased efforts by the research and dental manufacturing community to improve the design of dental equipment to meet the goal.
The goal is meant to encourage research into methods of eliminating existing biofilm—a complex, heterogeneous microbial mass attached to surfaces bathed in fluids—and preventing or controlling the formation of new biofilm. The goal is not to establish a professional standard of care that science and technology do not support. The Association strongly opposes any effort to turn this scientific goal into a legal dictate, as this could only have the perverse effect of stifling voluntary, proactive initiatives.
An Association report "Dental Unit Waterlines: Approaching the Year 2000" by the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs in November JADA explores the steps taken so far toward achieving the goal.
The complete ADA Statement on Dental Unit Waterlines can be found on ADA ONLINE at "http://www.ada.org/prac/position/lines.html". You also can contact the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs by e-mail at "science{at}ada.org" or by calling the members-only toll-free number on the back of your membership card and asking for Ext. 2878 or by calling 1-312-440-2878.
