Practice Tips #78: Spring Clean Your Water System

Water is a crucial resource to dentistry. As March comes to an end and World Water Day has been celebrated, we wanted to give you some dental practice tips for maintaining your self-contained water systems, as well as introduce you to a product to assist in making sure your water is clean for your patients.

We are now offering the whole DentaPure line to customers. Some of these products have an in-line filter that connects into your water bottles. They will safely & continuously release iodine into your water lines to help provide clean, safe dental water. The ADA helps explain more about maintaining your dental unit waterlines further here.

If you need help installing a self-contained water system, we created a video back in Practice Tips #55 to assist you in doing so.

The DentaPure cartridges (#49-300 & #49-301) are designed to be used only in water bottle systems. Make sure to store them at room temperature, out of the sunlight, & do not use heated water as it will promote the growth of bacteria. Wear gloves & safety glasses when installing.

Before beginning the installation and to obtain maximum bacterial reduction, dental unit waterlines should be cleaned with an approved cleaner before installation (#30-627 or #49-21).

1. Turn unit off & relieve air pressure within the bottle (we are using the #49-18 system in the demo) before or when removing the bottle.
2. Place the bottle next to the tube to check the length of existing internal waterline. The tube should extend the length of the bottle, almost touching the bottom of the bottle.
   
3. Attach DentaPure's enclosed luer lock adapter to the top of the DentaPure tube & place it next to the water pick up line to accurately determine where to cut the waterline.
   
4. Push the DentaPure tube onto the remainder of the waterline, making sure the tube will be slightly above the bottom of the bottle.
   
5. Fill the water bottle as usual, re-install the bottle and purge the lines.  NOTE: discoloration of tubing from blue to green or black is normal. The discoloration of tube or water is caused by release of activated carbon. Continue the water flow until the water runs clear.

Keep in mind these guidelines:

• The DentaPure cartridge is meant to be used only in dental water bottle systems.
• The water bottle must be emptied every night & replaced on the manifold after wiping down the outside of the DentaPure tube & making sure that the intake end is not obstructed.
• Flush the waterlines every morning & in-between patients, as recommended by the CDC and ADA.
• The DentaPure tube must be changed after the prescribed water usage (amount is depicted on the specific item purchased: 60-day or 365-day) or if the records of usage are not kept. Use the iodine sensitive test strips to verify the performance.
• For disposal, wrap the tube tightly in newspaper & dispose of in trash.