Sterilizer Testing
Sterilization of instruments is a process that prevents the transmission of disease via common instruments or materials. It is imperative that all sterilizers used in a health-care facility be tested/monitored to ensure that the equipment is operating normally and effectively.
The test strip should be placed in the centre of a load being processed through a sterilizer. By placing it in the centre there is assurance that the entire load is being effectively sterilized.
For more information:
Infection Prevention and Control Standards in the Oral Health Care Facility
Sterilization: Monitoring - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Government of Saskatchewan requires personal services businesses (e.g. esthetic studios, tattoo services) that sterilize their instruments to conduct biological monitoring of their sterilizer on a monthly basis.
No, test strips are not affected by temperature extremes when sent via Canada Post or a commercial courier service.
Waterline Testing
Water used in dental treatment must meet the same standards as drinking water to be suitable for human consumption. To ensure that water is meeting those standards it should be maintained and tested frequently.
Waterlines are the tubing that delivers water from a water source (tap or water bottle reservatory) to the patient's mouth through handpieces, air/water syringes, and ultrasonic scalers.
Water from your source can be considered clean and proper for human consumption. However, it has the potential to become contaminated due to biofilm accumulation in the waterlines. This can pose a serious health risk for patients, especially those who are immunocompromised.
Provincial regulation states waterlines must be tested a minimum of once a year. The Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Prevention (OSAP) highly recommends testing every three months.
For more information:
Infection Prevention and Control Standards in the Oral Health Care Facility
Dental Unit Water Quality: Organization for Safety, Asepsis And Prevention
Yes, we can test your water source to ensure it is clean and suitable for human consumption.
Water samples can be collected and tested as individual waterlines, or on a per dental unit basis by collecting equal amounts of water from all waterlines that belong to the same dental unit. It is up to each dental practice to select the preferred way to test.
This approach is not recommended because if a waterline test fails, you will not be able to determine which waterline led to the failed result.
If a waterline test fails, dental practices have the ethical responsibility to immediately shock the dental unit waterlines with a product recommended by the dental unit manufacturer and then retest the water. Retesting the water is the appropriate way to ensure that waterlines are clean and no longer pose an infection risk to patients.
Waterline tests are directly mailed to practices upon request or on a pre-scheduled subscription program. Once water is collected, tests are returned by mail to our facilities for incubation and analysis. A report is generated, and results are sent by email.
No, our test measures the total number of heterotrophic bacteria colonies only and will provide a report informing the overall quality of the water tested.
Reports are kept in our system for five years and historical reports can be accessed upon request for a fee.
No, anyone in Canada can utilize our services.
Contact us by phone or email to register and request waterline tests.
- (306) 966-1415
- swms.business@usask.ca