ArticleGMS hygiene and infection control2026
Detection of non-tuberculous mycobacteria and other bacterial pathogens in dental unit waterlines, 2024, Germany: a microbiological single-centre study.
Article in GMS hygiene and infection control, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 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
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Contamination of dental simulation rooms with mycobacteria.BMC microbiology · 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
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Dental unit waterlines (DUWL) might pose infection risks due to the presence of biofilms. A global outbreak of Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, microbiological single-centre study at Saarland University Medical Centre in Homburg, Germany from May to July 2024. We examined 42 DUWLs once before the daily patient care started. After DUWL flushing, 500 mL water samples were collected. Results: Bacterial growth was detected in 36 of 42 water samples. A total of 43 NTM species were detected in 35 (83%) water samples. The most common species was Conclusion: The large proportion of NTM detection highlights the importance of frequent bacterial monitoring in DUWLs for enhanced water quality control, which is not commonly implemented. Further research is needed to address the clinical relevance of NTM in DUWL and to evaluate measures to improve patient safety, such as the use of various disinfectant methods to sustainably reduce NTM concentrations.
Indexed as
Identifiers
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.