Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Biofilms In Dental Unit Waterlines: Ultrastructural And Cytochemical Analysis, J. Barbeau, C. Avezard, E. Faucher, S. Zalzal, A. P. Prévost

Cells and Materials

Dental unit waterlines are heavily colonized by bacteria which contaminate the water used to perform intra-oral, and sometimes invasive, procedures. There is little information on the nature of the biofilm colonizing the flexible plastic tubing used to supply water to the different handpieces. We have therefore undertaken quantitative microbial analysis and ultrastructural studies of these biofilms by direct counting with the epifluorescent filter technique and by transmission and scanning electron microscopy after staining with ruthenium red and periodic acid-thiosemicarbazide-silver proteinate to visualize the composition and the distribution of exopolysaccharides and intracellular polysaccharides. The biofilm was revealed as a non-uniform structure …