Sains Malaysiana 44(2)(2015): 187–192

A Comparison of Different Disinfectants on the Microbiological Quality of Water from the Dental Unit Waterlines of a Military Hospital

(Perbandingan antara Disinfektan yang Berlainan terhadap Kualiti Mikrobiologi Air daripada Paip Air Unit Pergigian di Sebuah Hospital Angkatan Tentera)

MEI SIANG MA¹*, ZALINI YUNUS², AHMAD RAZI MOHAMED YUNUS², ZUKRI AHMAD²

& FARIZAH ABDUL FATAH²

¹Dental Specialist Polyclinic, Tuanku Mizan Armed Forces Hospital, No 3, Jln 4/27A,

Seksyen 2, Wangsa Maju, 53300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

²Science and Technology Research Institute for Defence, Kompleks Induk STRIDE

Tmn Bukit Mewah, Fasa 9, 43000 Kajang, Selangor D.E. Malaysia

Received: 29 January 2014/Accepted: 8 July 2014

ABSTRACT

Water from the dental unit waterlines (DUWLs) is known to contaminate with microbial from the biofilm that formed in the tubing system. The water quality from DUWLs is important to patients and dental health care professionals as they could be infected either directly from the contaminated water or aerosol that is generated during dental procedures. Suppliers claimed that dental units supplied to the hospital can only use a specific disinfectant which is uneconomic compared with the others. The aims of this study were to evaluate and compare the efficacy of different disinfectant on the water quality of DUWLs. Four disinfectants (Calbenium, A-dec ICX tablet, Dentel 5, Metassys) and distil water were evaluated. 350 mL water sample was collected separately, from the outlet of high-speed handpiece, scaler, 3-ways syringe and cup filler into a sterile thiosulfate bag on the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 8th, 12th and 24th weeks of the study. The samples were tested on the following day for total viable count (TVC). There is significant difference in the efficacies of the different disinfectants. Only one disinfectant consistently produces water quality within the recommended level of American Dental Association (ADA). Within the limitation of this study, it was found that there is alternative disinfectant that can reduce the TVC to the level recommended by ADA. However, the water qualities produced with these disinfectants were not consistent although they did not cause any technical problem to the dental units during the period of study.

Keywords: Dental unit water line; disinfectant; microbial; total viable count

ABSTRAK

Air daripada paip air unit pergigian (DUWL) diketahui umum tercemar dengan mikrob daripada biofilem yang terbentuk di dalam sistem paipnya. Kualiti air daripada DUWL adalah penting untuk kesihatan pesakit dan penjaga kesihatan pergigian profesional kerana mereka boleh dijangkiti sama ada secara langsung daripada penggunaan air yang tercemar atau tidak langsung melalui titisan air yang terjana daripadanya. Pembekal unit pergigian ke hospital memberitahu hanya satu disinfektan khas sahaja yang boleh diguna untuk mengekalkan kualiti air daripada paip air unit pergigian. Harga disinfektan tersebut adalah mahal berbanding dengan yang lain. Tujuan kajian ini dijalankan adalah untuk menilai dan membandingkan keberkesanan disinfektan yang berlainan terhadap kualiti air daripada paip air unit pergigian. Empat disinfektan yang berlainan (Calbenium, A-dec ICX tablet, Dentel 5, Metassys) dan air suling telah dikaji. 350 mL sampel air diambil secara berasingan daripada alatan tangan kelajuan tinggi, pengukur, picagari 3 cara dan cawan pengisi dan dimasukkan ke dalam beg tiosulfat yang steril pada minggu pertama, kedua, empat, dua belas dan dua puluh empat sewaktu kajian dijalankan. Sampel air diuji pada hari yang berikutnya untuk jumlah bilangan boleh hidup (TVC). Terdapat perbezaan yang ketara antara disinfektan yang berlainan daripada segi keberkesanan ke atas kualiti mikrobiogi air. Hanya satu disinfektan sahaja yang secara tekal menghasilkan kualiti air yang disarankan oleh Persatuan Pergigian Amerika (ADA). Hasil daripada kajian ini mendapati ada pilihan disinfektan lain yang boleh menghasilkan TVC ke aras yang disarankan oleh ADA. Walau bagaimanapun, kualiti air yang dihasilkan oleh disinfektan berkenaan tidak konsisten walaupun ia tidak menyebabkan sebarang masalah teknikal pada unit pergigian sepanjang kajian dijalankan.

Kata kunci: Disinfektan; jumlah bilangan boleh hidup; mikrob; paip air unit pergigian

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*Corresponding author; email: drliana@gmail.com