Clean water in the dental office usually doesn’t make the top 10 list of patients’ concerns. Instead, it’s something that most patients probably take for granted—because their clinicians do not.
One such clinician is Amber Metro-Sanchez, a hygienist who “wanted a waterline solution that was easy to use that I could trust to provide my patients with clean water.” That’s precisely what she got when she evaluated the Dental Unit Water Purification Cartridge from Henry Schein. This 2-cartridge system treats waterlines with 40% more power than single-cartridge systems, ensuring cleanliness and keeping practices compliant—even with tap or distilled water.
Appreciating the ease of use of the cartridges compared to using waterline tablets, Metro-Sanchez said, “Being able to use tap or distilled water made this product a clear winner for me.” Most importantly, in a practice that treats many seniors with a variety of health conditions, she determined that “this cartridge ensures that the highest quality of care is provided to a vulnerable population.”
Ease of Use
With simple instructions, installation of the cartridge takes just minutes, and it’s easy to use and maintain. A reusable dummy straw is included, and two 6-month automatic replacement indicators provide a visual (color change) reminder to replace or reorder the cartridge.
“It’s hard to resist the simplicity of a device designed to keep water clean for up to 6 months,” said Dr. Scott Waletzko, whose staff “liked not worrying about using tablets or monitoring their supply, as they did before.” Calling the product “super easy to use,” hygienist Julia Cucinella praised its ease of fit and installation and told DPS, “It usually attached in seconds and was ready to go after a quick flush.” Pleased with “the sleek design and ease of use,” Dr. Reem Mahjoub found it “easy for the dental assistants to set up their operatory” and reported fewer instances of the water filter disconnecting. Impressed by the convenience and ease of placement, Dr. Rachna Surana called the cartridges “the most convenient and foolproof method of treating our dental chairs’ waterlines.”
“The Henry Schein straws fit our bottles better than those of competitors,” shared Dr. Aliisha Choucair. “It’s the only system I know of that can use the water straight from the tap,” said Metro-Sanchez, who was also “very pleased that it came with a replacement indicator, which our previous brand didn’t have.” She also liked “the detailed instructions that made it easy to install and maintain,” and said the video explaining the product and general waterline care contained new information that “everyone in the practice has applied.”
When asked about improvements, Dr. Surana suggested that the cartridge replacement reminder message be sent via Bluetooth or similar technology.
Effectiveness
With a total active antimicrobial release that’s 40% greater than that of traditional single-cartridge systems, this non-toxic, non-allergenic, and non-corrosive dual-cartridge system ensures cleanliness with improved water test results and more consistent CDC and ADA compliance.
Clean water is of the utmost importance to Cucinella, who said she sees “some very infected mouths” requiring non-surgical therapy involving a great deal of bleeding. Noting that the Dental Unit Water Purification Cartridge “really helped get water from the bottom of my bottle,” she said, “I feel that this cartridge is more effective [than my current product].” Cucinella noticed “water that tastes good with no waterline buildup” and said, “I really liked its fit, reliability, and filtration ability.”
Reporting that his “water tests passed easily with this purification unit,” Dr. Waletzko noted, “This product will help keep waterlines clean and pass water biofilm tests.” Dr. Mahjoub named “the quality of filtration” as his favorite feature, and Dr. Lance Teramoto said, “It gives me assurance that the biofilm in my waterlines is being controlled.” Hoping to “find an effective and economical way to treat water lines,” Dr. Rupesh Singla said, “It removes more biofilm than the product we used before.” He also suggested making the cartridges smaller.
Time Savings
Searching for an alternative to intermittent tablets, Dr. Waletzko said, “Using a mounted water treatment system takes a task off the assistants’ plates.” He praised the cartridge’s “set it and forget it” design and explained that it “turns water refill into a much faster task while still ensuring you have clean water for patients.” For Dr. Choucair, the cartridge “eliminates a step in our daily procedures and helps get the day started quickly, giving us time to complete other tasks.”
