oral|hygiene CPD CENTRE infection | CONTROL
infection | CONTROL
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A-dec offers dental unit biofilm testing service
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ith the heightened focus on infection control within the dental practice, A-dec has introduced a useful new product to test the microbiological quality of dental unit water lines and surfaces accurately and easily in dental clinics.
The 2-Min Water Control System rapidly and accurately determines the presence of biofilm in dental unit waterlines in just two minutes, to enable
monitoring and action as required. It provides accurate results, eliminating incubation periods or the need to send samples to a laboratory. A water sample is taken from the dental unit waterline and by adding a few drops of reagents, produces a result which is immediately interpreted and displayed on a Lumitester Smart device. In the case of microbiological shifts, the dental team can then use the results to implement A-dec’s recommended maintain, monitor and shock waterline maintenance guide to ensure infection control protocols are maintained. The advantage of this digital test device is rapid and accurate chairside results, without the long wait times and inaccurate manual verification methods of commonly used bacteria swab test kits.
CPD
The Lumitester uses ATP-metry – which measures the presence of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is present in all living organisms, providing early warning of biofilm build-up at small concentrations. By counting the number of photons emitted by the bioluminescence reaction, it displays the results in RLU (Relative Light Units). This technology is widely used in the food industry and medical settings to test for harmful biofilms. When used with the 2-Min Water Control reagent kit, ATP is converted to colony forming units (CFU) to determine the bacterial load of the water sample. The ADA guidelines state it is good
practice to test water lines on a regular basis, for example six-monthly or annually. There has been no change in the ADA’s target level of 200 CFU/mL in dental unit waterlines, however, clinics often set their own levels such as 100 CFU/mL as a trigger point for action. When high counts are found, the waterlines will need to undergo additional shock or sanitising treatments. Dental unit waterlines are susceptible to biofilm build-up because of the narrow water passages in dental equipment and the slow movement of water through the water lines. The problem is greatly exacerbated if equipment has been left idle. According to A-dec product manager, Angie Wong, this risk is reduced by using a self-contained dental unit waterline system such as that found on A-dec
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chairs, treated with ICX infection control tablets. She said the patented design of the A-dec pneumatic control block also eliminated stagnant water, by circulating fresh water through the control block each time a handpiece is used. To optimise the quality of your dental unit water, be sure to use a fresh ICX tablet and follow these steps every time you refill a self-contained water bottle: 1. Empty any water left in the bottle; 2. Drop the tablet into an empty dental unit water bottle (0.7L tablet in 0.7 litre bottle, 2L tablet in 2 litre). Avoid touching the tablet with skin; 3. Fill the bottle with water, then install it on the dental unit; and 4. Wait two minutes for the tablet to fully dissolve before using the system. Mrs Wong said now is an ideal time to conduct a 2-minute water test to determine the status of your waterlines. The exclusive 2-minute testing technology is available as a service on a scheduled basis by authorised and qualified A-dec dealers - similar to annual autoclave testing and validation. For more info on the 2-minute water testing service, contact your local A-dec dealer. Dealer and A-dec Territory Manager details are available on the A-dec website or by phoning 1800-225-010.
Unravelling the mystery of long COVID By Emeritus Professor Laurence J. Walsh AO
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his article explores some of the implications for patients who develop “long COVID”, also known as “long haul COVID”, which refers to new health problems that develop 3 or more months after infection. The information presented below has been put together from reading through some 265 papers on long COVID and is designed to highlight key points of relevance for every dental professionals.
Disease trajectory fter becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2, around 40% of people will have an asymptomatic infection, while another 40% will have a mild infection and will convalesce at home. In most cases with asymptomatic or mild infections, the person will clear the virus as they recover and inflammation will subside, with little or no persisting effects over the following months - and hence there is only a low probability of long COVID (6% or less). Around 20% of people have a more severe acute illness and of those, around 1 in 4 will need to be hospitalised. More severe acute illness means there has been a larger disturbance to the host immune system and more inflammation and together these factors elevate the likelihood of having long COVID, with health issues extending from 3 months after the acute infection and not seeing a return to good health. Those patients who are in ICU and the subset who are ventilated experience a range of issues, known as post-ICU syndrome and ventilator with-
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March/April 2022
March/April 2022
Question 1. The Water Control System analyses DUWL biofilm in:
Question 6. People with long COVID may experience:
a. 60 seconds b. 2 minutes c. 5 minutes d. 15 minutes
a. Fatigue and shortness of breath b. Fever c. Pneumonia and acute respiratory failure d. Delirium e. All of the above
Question 2. The Lumitester measures the presence of: a. Polysaccharides b. Lipids and nucleic acids c. Extracellular polymeric substances d. Adenosine triphosphate e. All of the above Question 3. ADA guidelines recommend action when the bacterial load in dental unit water reaches: a. 100 CFU/mL b. 200 CFU/mL c. 300 CFU/mL d. 400 CFU/mL Question 4. When high bacterial counts are found, waterlines need to undergo shock and sanitising treatments: a. True b. False Question 5. Dental unit waterlines are susceptible to biofilm build-up because of the narrow water passages in dental equipment and the slow movement of water through the water lines: a. True b. False
Question 7. Reductions in smell and taste are common with which variant of COVID: a. Only Alpha b. Only Delta c. Only Omicron d. Alpha and Delta e. Delta and Omicron Question 8. The symptoms associated with long COVID number more than: a. 10 b. 25 c. 50 d. 75 e. 100 Question 9. How many research papers did the author read to formulate the content of the article: a. 45 b. 96 c. 145 d. 265 e. 317 Question 10. Long COVID is more likely to affect women than men: a. True b. False
INSTRUCTIONS: OralHygiene™ is now offering PAID subscribers the ability to gain 2 Hours CPD credit from reading articles in this edition of the magazine and answering the questions above. To participate, contact OralHygiene for your Username and Password. Then log into the Dental Community website at www.dentalcommunity.com.au and click on the CPD Questionnaires link; select the Oral Hygiene Mar/Apr 2022 questionnaire and then click START. A score greater than 80% is required to PASS and receive CPD.
