ArticleBMC oral health2023
Dental unit waterline testing practices: an 11-Year retrospective study.
Article in BMC oral health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- Implementation and Preliminary Evaluation of a Low-Cost Sodium Hypochlorite Shock Disinfection Protocol for Dental Unit Waterlines.Dentistry journal · 2026Article
- Antimicrobial resistance in dental unit waterlines: a scoping review of microbial diversity, resistance patterns, and knowledge gaps.Frontiers in oral health · 2026Review
- Bacterial Contamination in Dental Unit Water Lines at Primary Health Care Centers (2022-2023): A Nationwide Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Antimicrobial Resistance in Oral Healthcare: A Growing Concern in Dentistry.Dentistry journal · 2025Review
- Mycobiology of Dental Unit Water: A Systematic Scoping Review.International dental journal · 2025Article
- Long-Term Efficacy of Chlorine-Based Disinfectants Vs Multi-Enzymatic Detergent with Hypochlorous Acid for Waterline Disinfection in Inactive Dental Chair Units.Infection and drug resistance · 2025Article
- Decoding water quality across urban and rural dental clinics: insights from an observational study.Frontiers in oral health · 2025Article
- Dental Unit Waterlines: Disinfection and Management.International dental journal · 2024Review
- UV-C side-emitting optical fiber-based disinfection: a promising approach for infection control in tight channels.Microbiology spectrum · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThis retrospective study examined the dental unit waterline (DUWL) testing practices of Saskatchewan dental clinics over a period of 11 years, with an emphasis on their responses after identification of high microbial levels. MATERIALS AND
methodsDental clinics (n = 137) aseptically collected samples of output water from their air/water syringes, handpieces, and ultrasonic scaler lines using Sigma-Aldrich® waterline test kits and delivered them to a quality assurance laboratory. Tests were incubated for seven days at room temperature, and those with heterotrophic plate counts > 500 CFU/mL were reported as failures. Statistical analyses were performed on a database containing 4,093 test results.
resultsParticipating clinics submitted an average of 11 DUWL tests per year. Overall, 21% of tests failed, and a moderate positive association (r
conclusionsOur findings demonstrate an association between DUWL testing frequency and detection of unacceptable microbial levels, along with infrequent retesting and often-inadequate intervention after a failed test. This suggests the need for further efforts at the regulatory and educational levels to maintain adequate water quality during dental treatment. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Procedural water can become contaminated in DUWLs and endanger patients. Regular DUWL monitoring and evidence-based interventions to treat contaminated systems are necessary to safeguard patient health.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.