WATER IN DENTISTS' OFFICE COMPARED TO POND SCUM

From Dental Amalgam Mercury Syndrome newsletter, Volume XIII, Spring/Summer 2000

“Modern-day dentistry” received another black eye last February when a 20/20 investigation revealed that almost 90% of the water samples tested in more than 60 dental offices across the nation failed to meet federal drinking standards. In fact, water going into patients’ mouths was found to contain more bacteria than water from public toilets.

Equipment Design Problems The problem stems from the design of the water lines that feed the dental tools. Underneath the chair and tied to all the equipment visible in the office are tubes that hold the water used in procedures. When the instruments are not in use, the water sits inside the tubing and stagnates. The small number of environmental bacteria naturally found in the water quickly multiply and cling to the walls of the tubing. When the equipment is used again, the bacteria can be flushed into the mouths’ of patients.

How serious is the risk? Although the organisms found in the water are environmental bacteria and generally not harmful to most people, the bacteria can potentially cause disease, especially to people who have weakened immune systems. Any procedures like gum surgery, root canals, and tooth extractions are riskier because they expose the gum line. Unlike dental surgery, medical surgery strictly uses sterile saline or sterile water.

Safe Alternatives The American Dental Association has known of the problem for a number of years. It set a goal to clean up dental water by the year 2000 and instructed manufacturers to come up with possible solutions. For example, some dentists use sterile tubing and disposable bags of sterile saline. Improvements have been made in ultrasonic scalers, used for teeth cleanings, so they can deliver sterile water. Also on the market are water-line filters, which trap bacteria and chemical treatments to flush out the lines. However, it is possible that most dentists are still using contaminated water in their offices. Falling back on their favorite sentence, John Molinari, spokesman for the ADA, said “…there is no published evidence of a serious health risk.” “For healthy people, I do not have any concern,” he says. Molinari says we can expect major strides in the process of updating dental equipment over the next couple of years. In the meantime, the next time you sit in the dentist’s chair, you may want to ask what they’re doing to clean their water lines.

From ABC2000

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