Have you ever found yourself sitting in the dentist’s chair thinking “that’s a lot of hoses”? Trust me, every single one has purpose. Some carry water and others air. Then I started wondering how “clean” is the water coming out of the faucet and handpieces they spray in my mouth? If you find yourself asking these questions you’re not alone. Every day millions of Americans visit their dentist for one reason or another without ever really giving the subject any thought. The truth is dental waterlines, due to the nature of their construction, can harbor tons of microorganisms and bacteria that you would not want in your drinking water let alone your dentist’s chair. According to the Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Prevention (OSAP), colony forming units (CFU) of bacteria can reach greater than 1,000,000 CFU/mL within a few days in dental unit waterlines (DUWL) and, believe me, when that happens, do you really want your dentist spraying that water into your mouth? Me either! This build up is commonly referred to as biofilm and, if left untreated, it can cause some real problems.