Abstract
The bacteriology of water in a dental unit is important as potentially pathogenic microorganisms like Pseudomonas may be present in dental water unit, which could be fatal for immuno-compromised patients and be of significant morbidity in immuno-competent patients. It is difficult to treat infections caused by Pseudomonas due to their resistance to many commonly used disinfectants and antibiotics. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the Pseudomonas contamination in dental unit water lines of a dental hospital outpatient department and to analyse the antimicrobial susceptibility of Pseudomonas.
Highlights
Microorganisms exist primarily by attaching to and growing upon living and inanimate surfaces resulting in biofilm formation
The bacteriology of water in a dental unit is important as potentially pathogenic microorganisms may be present in dental unit water which could be fatal for immuno-compromised patients and be of significant morbidity in immuno-competent patients [4]
Based on colony morphology observed on culture media, gram staining and biochemical tests, Pseudomonas was identified and isolated (Table 2)
Summary
Microorganisms exist primarily by attaching to and growing upon living and inanimate surfaces resulting in biofilm formation. Biofilm formation is a process by which microorganisms irreversibly attach to and grow on a surface and produce extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) that facilitate attachment and matrix formation, resulting in an alteration in the phenotype of the organisms with respect to growth rate and gene transcription [1]. Biofilms are seen in oral soft tissues and teeth, middle ear, gastrointestinal tract, urogenital tract, prosthetic heart valves, hip and joint prosthetic replacements, catheters, intrauterine devices, contact lens and dental unit water lines [2]. Dental unit waterlines are an integral part of the dental chair, supplying water as a coolant for air-turbines and ultrasonic scalar and are susceptible to biofilm formation. The wide range of microorganisms includes gram positive bacteria such as Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Mycobacterium and Actinomycetes; gram negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella and Legionella; yeast Candida; protozoa such as Acanthamoeba, Cryptosporidium and viruses hepatitis B surface antigen [3,4,23]
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