ArticleIsrael journal of health policy research2026
Dental unit waterlines in Israel: evidence of widespread microbial contamination and a need for national regulation.
Article in Israel journal of health policy research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDental unit waterlines (DUWLs) are susceptible to microbial contamination because of biofilm formation within their complex water delivery systems. Although the US CDC and several professional organizations recommend maintaining dental treatment water at potable water quality, Israel currently lacks specific national standards and regulatory requirements for monitoring and maintaining DUWLs. This study assessed the prevalence of Legionella and other microbial contaminants in DUWLs across dental clinics in central Israel and examined factors associated with contamination to inform patient and dental stuff safety and national policy development.
methodsThis survey included 52 randomly selected dental clinics, with 359 water samples collected from DUWL components and water sources. Samples were tested for Legionella spp., Legionella pneumophila, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and heterotrophic plate count (HPC). Water quality indicators - residual chlorine and turbidity were also measured. Statistical analyses were used to explore associations between microbial and common water quality and clinic characteristics.
resultsOf the clinics tested, 94% exhibited at least one abnormal water quality result. Legionella exceeded the threshold in 74% of samples, Pseudomonas in 25%, and HPC in 53%. Contamination was most frequent in turbine and syringe connectors. Low chlorine levels and high turbidity were significantly associated with increased microbial counts. Legionella pneumophila concentrations above 2,500 GU/L were found in 19% of Legionella-positive samples. No consistent effect of dental chair age or clinic operating frequency was observed.
conclusionsThe widespread microbial contamination identified in Israeli dental unit waterlines represents a potential patient and occupational health concern and highlights an important regulatory gap in the oversight of dental water quality. These findings support the need to develop national standards for DUWL monitoring, maintenance, and treatment, together with routine surveillance and regulatory oversight, to improve patient safety and ensure safe dental care environments.
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.