An emergency response and preparation health advice regarding outbreaks of nontuberculous mycobacteria infections that have occurred via dental waterlines have been released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The agency’s Health Alert Network was used to send the alert. It serves as a reminder to dental professionals and patients about the value of cleanliness in dental treatments.
According to the CDC, nontuberculous mycobacteria are “opportunistic organisms [that] place] some groups at elevated risk, particularly those with underlying lung disease or suppressed immune systems.”
Although infections are uncommon, the CDC observed that there had been numerous documented examples of kids getting nontuberculous mycobacteria after having pulpotomies, which remove the damaged pulp from a tooth. This information comes from the American Dental Association.
According to reports, the outbreaks were recorded in March 2022. According to the CDC, they originated from a pediatric dentistry practice with elevated levels of germs in the treated water.
The recent outbreaks city and states have yet to be made public.
Dental unit waterlines, which the CDC identified as the “narrow-bore plastic tubing” that conducts water through a “high-speed handpiece, air/water syringe, and ultrasonic scaler,” were used to transfer nontuberculous mycobacteria to patients.
According to the CDC’s alert, an investigation into the cluster of infections is ongoing, and a preliminary site visit has been made.
