Easily keep up with routine in-office dental water testing with Sterisil MyCheck paddles
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, ,Maintaining adequate cleaning protocols in the dental office is crucial for staff and patient safety, but there’s more to infection control than meets the eye. According to the CDC, there is an increased risk of adverse health effects if dental unit waterlines are not properly treated to kill harmful biofilm. This, in turn, can contaminate water inside the long, narrow plastic tubing that feeds handpieces, syringe tips, and ultrasonic scalers.,Recent clinical outbreaks have underlined the importance of routine maintenance and monitoring of dental unit waterlines. For example, a few years ago, a pediatric dental office in Orange County, CA, was found to have higher than normal microbial counts in 5 out of its 6 treatment rooms. With no regular water testing in place and multiple species of bacteria identified, 71 patients were diagnosed with odontogenic nontuberculous mycobacteria infections following pulpotomy treatments.,Simple In-Office Water Testing
But fear not! Sterisil MyCheck water testing paddles allow practices to easily establish a water testing and treatment cycle that mitigates bacterial threats. While Standard Check and Rapid Check lab mail-in tests are available, what makes MyCheck unique is that it’s designed for use as an in-office screening tool between lab tests that provides a simple pass/fail result.MyCheck water testing paddles make staying on top of the waterline treatment cycle easy. Once a water sample is collected up to the fill line inside the plastic case, the paddle filter soaks for 30 seconds. The paddle is then removed, the water is poured out of the plastic case, and the paddle is slid back into the case for a 72-hour incubation. A permanent marker can be used to label where the sample is from and on what date it was taken.
,Once the incubation period is complete, the Colony Count Comparison Chart included with the MyCheck paddle test can be used to analyze the bacterial count and ensure that water meets the EPA standard for safe drinking water of ≤500 CFU/mL.,After receiving either a pass or fail result, an included Corrective Actions table guides dental professionals to the appropriate next steps.,A Clear Roadmap to Testing Frequency
The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) recommends that monthly water testing yields a positive result for 2 consecutive months. From there, testing can be reduced to a quarterly schedule if passing results are maintained.,
