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Biofilm

“I heard about ‘biofilm’ and contaminated water on television. What is biofilm? And what has Dr. Snow done about it?”

Dental unit waterlines (the small tubes that supply water spray to instruments used in dental offices) have been shown to harbor a variety of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, and protozoa—and some of these can cause disease. Our community water supply contains naturally-occurring microorganisms, and they are usually minimal and insignificant. However, scientific research now shows that these microorganisms can collect inside the thin dental unit waterlines that connect to dental instruments and multiply over time.

Eventually, this build up forms a sticky, contaminated, accumulation layer called “biofilm.” Once formed, the biofilm clogs the narrow dental unit hoses. Biofilm is now known to be the primary source of contaminated water in dental offices.

When water is periodically sprayed through these tubes during treatment, globs of the invisible microbes spray into patients’ mouths in high concentrations.

While recent media coverage has caused enormous justified public concern over what can be done in the future, Dr. Snow already eliminated the problem for our patients 15 years ago!

When Snow Dental Care learned about the potential health threat that biofilm represents, we installed individual water reservoirs for each treatment room. Our team replenishes the reservoirs daily with sterile water. And even though the system is completely isolated, we disinfect all our waterlines every day—just to be sure, just to be safe.

Adopting this sophisticated water system technology is just one of many ways we provide safety and security for our patients.

It is this attention to detail—even detail behind the scenes—that our patients have come to expect and appreciate.

Copyright © 2013  Stephen R. Snow, DDS