Dental Advice faq from Seattle Area Dentist

Thank you for visiting our web site and considering us for your dental care. As a dentist, I have received several inquiries regarding the health and safety of water lines. Our office abides by all of OSHA's (Occupational Safety and Health Administration's) guidelines and we do flush our water lines after every patient visit. You are quite correct that we do use a water line in conjunction with our ultrasonic cleaners. This water is necessary for both the cooling process and to aid in the ultrasonic cleaning process itself. Each time we complete a cleaning, the ultrasonic tip of the device is removed and packaged for sterilization. The remaining water line is then flushed with water to remove any residual water which may pool in the water line. Once a new patient is seated, we flush the line briefly again and then place a new ultrasonic tip onto the unit. Our water lines are also flushed on a daily basis with a liquid hypochlorite disinfectant.   I certainly understand your concern for your dental health and I hope I have answered your question. If for any reason you are not comfortable with the ultrasonic cleaning process, we can certainly still use instruments to clean your teeth! Please don't hesitate to e-mail or call our office with any other questions you might have.