Director:
Allen L. Honeyman, PhD

Laboratory Manager:

Katy Lyles, MS
Consultants:
Sterilization monitoring: Charles W. Berry, MS, PhD
Fluoride analysis: William Bowles, MS, DDS, PhD
Waterline analysis: Raghunath Puttaiah, BDS, MPH

Baylor College of Dentistry is actively involved in academic instructions and innovative research in the area of infection control. Since 1988 we have offered our services to dental practitioners.

We offer three services.                                            

• Sterilization monitoring service
• Dental unit waterline analysis
• Drinking water fluoride analysis




Why should I be concerned about sterilization monitoring?

Regular monitoring of dental office sterilizers is necessary to detect any failure in the delivery of sterile instruments required for safe healthcare. With the increased awareness regarding the transmission of infectious diseases, it has become necessary to prevent any cross-infection. Regular biological monitoring of your sterilizers will give you confidence and your patient peace of mind.

Are there any legal requirements for sterilization procedures?

The State Board of Dental Examiners of the State of Texas and many other states require that dental office sterilizers be monitored with biological indicators on a weekly basis. The American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control also require weekly monitoring.

How can I verify that my sterilizer is working properly?

Although chemical indicators are used to determine sterilization of instruments, these are not surefire ways to verify sterility. The proper use of biological indicators (BI) will tell you if the sterilizer is working according to manufacturer’s specifications, running at optimum temperature, operated with the recommended load for that cycle, and whether the treatment time is adequate.

How can the CDMS at Baylor College of Dentistry help me assure proper sterilization?

We at Baylor College of Dentistry offer a sterilization monitoring service using BIs.

Here is how it works:

• We mail you the sporestrip and instructions
• You expose the sporestrip to a sterilization cycle
• You return the sporestrip to us
• We process the returned sporestrip to determine effectiveness of sterilization
• In case of failure, we call you to help identify/correct the problem
• We mail you a report of your latest test result along with the next spore strip
• Provide yearly written Summary Report

You will also receive:

• A framable certificate of participation
• Return address labels
• Information on infection control products (upon request)

STERILIZATION MONITORING SERVICE FEE SCHEDULE
(FOR ONE FULL YEAR)

No. of sterilizers	Weekly monitoring	Semi-monthly monitoring	Monthly monitoring
1	$169.00	$144.00	$  96.00
2	$338.00	$216.00	$144.00
3	$496.00	$288.00	$192.00
4	$620.00	$360.00	$240.00
5	$744.00	$432.00	$288.00
6	$868.00	$504.00	$336.00

Why should I test dental unit waterlines?

Dental treatment water is normally contaminated beyond drinking water standards. The amount of contamination found in municipal drinking water is less than 500 colony forming units/milliliter (cfu/mL), but the dental handpiece is very often contaminated in excess of 1,000,000 cfu/mL. The American Dental Association’s goal of less than 200 cfu/mL can be achieved only by cleaning the dental unit water system and using water of low microbial count on a routine basis.

How can I test my dental unit waterlines?

The effectiveness of your in-house cleaning procedures can be evaluated only by faithful analysis of water samples from the unit. We at Baylor College of Dentistry have been processing the waterline samples for dental practitioners for years and are at the cutting edge of research on controlling the microbial contamination of the waterlines.

Call us for a waterline sampling kit. We will send you a kit with water sample vials and a freezer pack in a styrofoam container. The cost is $25.00 (payable in advance) for the first two vials and $20.00 for each additional set of two. We will mail you a written report seven days after we receive the water samples in our lab

                                             .

Why should I be concerned about the amount of fluoride in my drinking water?

We provide fluoride analysis of drinking water samples. It is important to have appropriate amount of fluoride in the water we drink to reduce tooth decay. The amount of fluoride we get depends on how much water we drink, which is strongly influenced by the climate we live in.

Lower consumption of fluoride can result in tooth decay. It is also possible to get too much fluoride, which may cause fluorosis of teeth, resulting in opaque white spots, or in more severe cases, brown staining or mottling of the enamel.

What should I do to get my water tested for fluoride?

You may submit a water sample through your dentist or request for a sample vial directly from us. We will send you a mailer containing a water sample tube and directions for collecting and sending the water sample.

The cost for analysis for fluoride is $15.00 per water sample payable when you request for a sample vial. We will mail you a report within seven working days after we receive the water sample in the lab.

Have questions or comments?

Please contact us at:

Comprehensive Dental Monitoring Services
Baylor College of Dentistry
The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center
3302 Gaston Avenue
Dallas, Texas  75246
Telephone: (214) 370-7214
Fax: (214) 370-7298
E-mail: cdms@tambcd.edu