The importance of water quality in your practice
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 4th June 2021
Water is one of the most important resources in a dental practice. As such, it’s important to consider the quality of your water in practice to ensure your systems are running to their full potential and that you are keeping your patients as safe as possible.
Water in the UK
Water in the UK holds a mixture of chemicals and minerals that give it its unique characteristics. Content and quantity of certain chemicals, minerals and other particles in the water supply varies greatly depending on where you are in the UK, though many of these will consistently be present. Most are completely harmless, however, some can impact your practice equipment, such as calcium carbonate.
An incredible 60% of the UK is classed as having hard water; with some areas even exhibiting over 200mg of calcium carbonate per litre[i]. Hard water is therefore the default supply for thousands of practices across the country. This “hardness” can wreak havoc for dental equipment, as the calcium carbonate may quickly build up and form limescale.
Limescale is problematic for a number of reasons, but most importantly because it can cause equipment to be less efficient and eventually breakdown. For example, if calcium deposits build up in your autoclave, this could lead to the pipes splitting or becoming blocked. When equipment breaks down this not only means potentially expensive repairs, but it can also lead to disruptions to your workflows causing downtime resulting in cancelled appointments.
Other minerals and totally dissolved solids (TDSs) may also be present in your water supply. For example, potassium and magnesium are naturally found in the groundwater and may also impact water quality.
For these reasons, it’s necessary to invest a filtration device that purifies your water supply of minerals and TDSs. There are plenty of filtration devices on the market that can benefit the longevity of your systems, but what about the efficacy of your water filter and removing any potentially harmful pathogens too?
How efficient is your water filter?
In modern dentistry, time is of the essence. You should consider how quickly potential filters for your practice can produce pure water.
Every practice will be different in terms of patient volume, so this should be factored into your choice – a slower water filter is not going to be the best option for a practice that sees a high footfall.
It’s also wise to look into different types of filtration and see which is best for you. Reverse Osmosis (RO) filters are an efficient choice as they filter water using a permeable membrane that captures any microorganisms and smaller particles that may have come through the first filter, not only preventing the formation of limescale but also filtering out any other contaminants present. This means that you are guaranteed to have the best quality water for your equipment that is also safe for use in treatment.
Pathogens in water and how to defend against them
Although water is processed at water treatment plants to make it safe, there is no guarantee that bacteria won’t enter the water supply along the way to your practice. This may occur if there are small leakages in pipes or if old plumbing has allowed bacterial build up. [ii]
As such, it makes sense to invest in a solution that not only guarantees water purity, but which also disinfects the supply too. Some filtration systems include innovative features such as UV light technology that effectively deactivates pathogens in the water by prohibiting their ability to reproduce, stopping them from becoming a threat.
The water filter that has it all
If you’re looking for the easiest way to provide your practice with clean, pure water, you should look no further than the RO Water System from Eschmann. This unit produces more water in a shorter time than a conventional water distiller, and because it’s compact, it can easily fit into most cupboards.
Not only is this an RO model that effectively filters out contaminants and impurities such as minerals and TDSs, but it is also uses UV technology to ensure water is safely treated and pathogen-free.
Protect your practice with pure water
By investing in a solution that filters out contaminants and inhibits pathogens in your water supply, you can help your equipment to last longer and become more efficient. You can also rest assured that your patients are safe from any potential harm from bacteria and other pathogens too.
For more information on the highly effective and affordable range of infection control products from Eschmann, please visit www.eschmann.co.uk or call 01903 875787
[i] ScaleGuard Professional. Hard Water Areas. Link: https://www.scaleguard.co.uk/hard-water-areas.html [Last accessed March 21].
[ii] Science Daily. Leaky Pipes Can Allow Contaminants Into Our Drinking Water. Link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150607214248.htm [Last accessed April 21].
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