“All potable water contains germs. The narrow dental unit tubing, combined with the low flow and stagnation of water in the lines, provides a safe harbour for masses of bacteria.”

Dental & Medical Centres

Dental Practices

There have been more than 25 studies documenting the occurrence of pathogens in dental unit water worldwide, and the levels detected have reached as high as a million colony-forming units per millilitre (CFU/ml). Those studies have shown that microbial levels in dental unit water can reach 200,000 CFU/ml within just five days after installing new dental unit waterlines. It is also documented that biofilm formation occurred even in a brand new dental unit that was just installed.

How can that be?

The basic misunderstanding is that one cannot equate the water in their dental units with safe drinking water, and one cannot compare the two.

Well, we drink tap water all the time, if it goes into a dental unit, how bad can it become?

The explanation lies in the understanding of the phenomenon that occurs inside the small tubes in the unit. Water in there is much more contaminated than what is coming out of the pipes from the outlets. All potable water contains germs.

The narrow dental unit tubing, combined with the low flow and stagnation of water in the lines, provides a safe harbour for masses of bacteria. As microbials adhere and collect in the tube lining, they emit a polysaccharide outer layer that serves as a communal shield. Protected by this shield or biofilm, the germs share nutrients, grow and eventually dislodge to enter the water stream.Thus, they can enter a patient's mouth. If aerosolized, they can also reach the respiratory tract and lungs of patients, staff and dentists alike.

Who's at risk and what is the risk?

In short: Dentist, Staff and Patient all have exposure to pathogens and are at risk. Even though the risk for the patient might be lower due to the shorter amount of exposure time, the 'immunocompetence' of the person plays a big role. For those with weakened immune systems, such exposure to infection may even lead to death.

Treating the problem

Our AccuIon™ technology is designed to treat and protect the water for a whole building as it is installed at the incoming water mains - not the dental water unit itself. Dental and medical centres constitute a Flow-Through application of the AccuIon™ system. This results in a solution where all dental water units in the building are protected at once. This reduces the cost for a practice with many dental water units and saves also on maintenance cost. As added bonus all water in the building, including hot water systems, are protected against pathogens including Legionella.

Hence this solution provides total peace of mind as there is no opportunity for human error such as missing a scheduled chemical treatment or filter replacement, improperly handling water reservoirs, incorrectly diluting a concentrated chemical agent, or failing to thoroughly rinse or purge waterlines as directed. It is highly likely that in the foreseeable future, legislation will require dentists to take precautions against potentially harmful pathogens and our equipment is designed to meet these legal requirements.

Medical Practices

The medical practice environment by its nature is harbouring a diverse range of biohazardous material. The possibility of such material escaping from dental, veterinary and medical surgeries is not only likely, it is a real daily situation. Methods of escape are typically either airborne, direct contact with contaminated waste or flushing to waste through drains and sewers. Use of water which is in itself an antimicrobial agent throughout a practise can obviously halt the movement and alleviate the risk of proliferation of such substances.

Increase Hygiene

Having antimicrobial water in use throughout the practice will increase personal hygiene for both patients and staff. Risk of cross-contamination through both direct and indirect contact is effectively mitigated. This also applies to the cleaning of medical equipment, instruments and facilities. Elimination of moulds and spores from sanitary fixtures occurs automatically with no user intervention in the most cost-effective way.