Within that hour, complete periodontal debridement is attempted by totally deplaqueing the entire root surface from the gingival margin to the base of the pocket. The final decision in the appropriate therapy lies with the individual dentist who is expected to assess each patient with skill and care. It is sincerely hoped that clinicians will pause and contemplate the potential goals in periodontal debridement that can be achieved with the use of ultrasonic instruments. Due to a recent broadcast the national news media has stirred an interest among the public concerning the issue of biofilm contamination in dental unit water lines. To date there are no scientific reports linking illness to dental unit waterlines.
Scientific evidence demonstrates no adverse effects from the water in dental unit water lines.
Patients should be able to trust that the water used during their dental appointment is at the very least as clean as the water served in a restaurant. The ADA and CDC still recommend standard infection control to include flushing waterlines at the beginning and end of each day, and between each patient, for two minutes. New products recently cleared by the FDA include water filtration systems, improved disinfectants, and dental units independent of municipal water supply. These units include ADEC, Proma, Dental Eze, D.C.I, and Dentsply cavitron. Point of use filters are effective in trapping waterborne microorganisms but have no effect on biofilms colonizing on dental waterline tubing.