ReviewInternational dental journal2024
Dental Unit Waterlines: Disinfection and Management.
Review in International dental journal, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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
16 citing papers in PubMed.
- Optimizing hydrogen peroxide shock treatment frequencies for dental unit waterlines contamination control: a pilot study.BMC oral health · 2025Trial
- Implementation and Preliminary Evaluation of a Low-Cost Sodium Hypochlorite Shock Disinfection Protocol for Dental Unit Waterlines.Dentistry journal · 2026Article
- Biweekly versus triweekly hydrogen peroxide shock treatment for controlling dental unit waterline contamination: a single-center pilot randomized clinical study.Frontiers in oral health · 2026Article
- Antimicrobial resistance in dental unit waterlines: a scoping review of microbial diversity, resistance patterns, and knowledge gaps.Frontiers in oral health · 2026Review
- Species Diversity of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria in Dental Unit Waterlines: Implications for Infection Control and Clinical Practice.Infection and drug resistance · 2026Article
- Long-term control ofFrontiers in oral health · 2026Article
- Moderate heating of waterline improves dental unit water quality by activating bactericidal properties of tap water.Journal of dental sciences · 2026Article
- Article
- Detection of non-tuberculous mycobacteria and other bacterial pathogens in dental unit waterlines, 2024, Germany: a microbiological single-centre study.GMS hygiene and infection control · 2026Article
- Extra Positive Air Pressure to Prevent Microbial Contamination in Dental Handpieces: An Experimental Study.International dental journal · 2025Article
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa in dental unit waterlines: an emerging threat of virulence genes in healthcare-associated infections.BMC oral health · 2025Article
- Water Quality and Biofilm Formation in Dental Unit Waterline Systems in Mangaung, South Africa.International dental journal · 2025Article
- Periodic detection and disinfection maintenance of dental unit waterlines in dental simulation head model laboratories.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Decoding water quality across urban and rural dental clinics: insights from an observational study.Frontiers in oral health · 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
- Infection Control in Dentistry in the Post-COVID Era: A Timely Update.International dental journal · 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
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Dental unit waterlines (DUWLs) are the conduits within the dental chair through which water derived from the municipal or other peripheral supply systems flows through the dental chair to reach the dental patient. The quality of the water so delivered must have a low pathogenic microbial burden so as to be safe for the patient and the dental personnel. Regulatory bodies have therefore set minimum standards for the quality of water that exits from DUWLs as part of routine infection control. Adopting a comprehensive approach that combines physical, chemical, and automated methodologies is recommended to effectively decontaminate DUWLs. This review discusses the complexities of DUWL decontamination in terms of (1) Best Practice Guidelines in dental healthcare settings to mitigate DUWL contamination, (2) origins of DUWL contamination and biofilm formation and the associated infectious risks, (3) contemporary approaches for minimizing DUWL contamination, and (4) constraints in combating biofilms in DUWLs. Compliance with regional and national regulations on DUWL decontamination is a legal obligation for all dental practitioners and fundamental to protecting public health.
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What OpenQuestion holds
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.