Think of it in this way, if your dental unit waterline maintenance protocol were compared to your patients’ dental routine, shocking would be equivalent to getting a professional cleaning whereas treating (with straws or tablets) would be like your daily brushing and flossing habits.

You’ve seen what happens when a patient avoids “the chair” for far too long–biofilm in the form of plaque builds up on their teeth; the same happens when lines go without a shock for too long. So, learn from your patients and be diligent with your “routine” visits.

Unfortunately, shocking is not a step that will get you extra credit in your infection prevention efforts. It is the foundational step required to have any chance against the ever-persistent and potentially dangerous biofilm.

Shocking your waterlines alone isn't enough to protect your patients or team from the harmful bacteria in your waterlines.

In the largest dental unit waterline study of over 22,000 waterline test results, we found that the most successful treatments in keeping waterlines compliant were a combination of shocking and treating. And, in Jean Barbeau’s study, Multiparametric Analysis of Waterline Contamination in Dental Units, he and his research team discovered that within just five days and in brand-new lines, bacteria counts can grow to 200,000 CFU/mL.

Unfortunately, simply ignoring the reality of bacteria living in waterlines will lead to the exponentially larger challenge of removing established, mature biofilm than of keeping it from growing in the first place. 

Regardless of what waterline treatment method you adopt in your practice, you are spending your resources (both time and money) to keep your patients safe from potential infections.

The only way to know for certain that the time you’ve invested in waterline maintenance has led down the yellow brick road to compliance is to test your waterlines. And the only way for regulatory agencies to be certain you’re compliant is to properly document and store verified waterline documentation. It’s a bit like taking a test on the first day of a new class to see what you know (or don’t). Then, you are presented with the same test again after you’ve gone through months of diligent note-taking, lecture attendance, panic studying, and sweat-inducing pop quizzes.

The only way to know if your efforts have made an impact is if there is an improvement in your results.

We know that doing all that you can to achieve waterline compliance success is not an easy feat. Your to-do list is full of other tasks that need your attention, and staying on-track with safe water can often feel confusing.

With at-a-glance compliance rates, automated email reminders, just-in-time product shipments with Auto-ship, and support and resources at your fingertips, you can lighten your load and feel confident in your waterline management.

The best part? It's free!