ADA Dental Unit Waterline Recommendations

DO’S

• Check with your state’s dental board to determine whether it has regulations or standards regarding maintenance of dental unit water lines.
• Make sure staff is trained and knowledgeable about water lines maintenance procedures and any products used.
  • Staff should read product labels for any disinfectants used in dental unit water lines.
  • All clinical staff should know the appropriate water quality for performing routine procedures versus that needed when performing oral-surgical procedures since their requirements do vary.
• Create and use a checklist to help ensure that all steps related to water line safety are being followed.
  • A sample checklist is available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on page 10 of its resource Infection Prevention Checklist for Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care.
• Make sure the practice’s water line treatment schedule includes water quality monitoring.
• Follow recommendations for monitoring water quality provided by the manufacturer of the dental unit or waterline treatment product.
  • Many practices use water quality indicators, which are typically easy to use, inexpensive, and provide accurate results.
  • If using the municipal water supply for the dental unit water supply, another option is to use mail-in testing kits which involve shipping water samples to a laboratory for analysis.
• Assign someone on the team the daily responsibility of monitoring local alerts to find out whether any boil water orders have been issued.
• Always follow manufacturers’ guidelines for product and equipment set-up, use, cleaning, storage, etc.
  • Change filters and treat water lines with shock treatment according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• The doctor should always sign the task list as documentation that testing of the water lines occurred.

DON’TS

• Don’t rely on flushing alone to remove biofilm buildup from water lines.