20.500.12556/RUL-175214 Microbial contamination levels in water derived from dental units used in small animal dentistry Objective: This prospective study aimed to assess microbial contamination levels in water from dental units used in small animal dentistry. Materials and methods: Water from 24 dental units across various clinics in Slovenia was sampled between July 2022 and September 2024. Samples were tested for Legionella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, coliform bacteria, intestinal enterococci, and heterotrophic plate counts (HPC) at 36°C. Statistical analysis assessed associations between the water source, implemented disinfection protocols, and microbial contamination levels of water. Results: A total of 91.3% of the dental units were microbiologically non- compliant when considering potable drinking water standards. When criteria requiring the absence of Legionella spp., P. aeruginosa, E. coli, coliform bacteria, intestinal enterococci, and HPC < 200 colony-forming units (CFU)/ml were applied, 87.0% of the units were non-compliant. When threshold of HPC < 500 CFU/ml was applied, 79.2% of the units remained microbiologically non-compliant. Distilled water supplied 83.3% of units; the remaining 16.7% used municipal water. Disinfection protocols of dental unit waterlines were implemented in 16.7% of the dental units. None of these parameters were statistically significantly associated with microbial contamination levels of the water derived from dental units. Conclusions and clinical relevance: The high microbial contamination and limited disinfection use in dental units raise concerns about potential health risks to animals and practitioners. This study highlights the need to establish clear guidelines for microbial levels in water derived from dental units used in small animal dentistry, and to assess disinfection protocols in future research. small animal dentistry dental unit water microbial contamination cleaning protocols biofilm zobozdravstvo malih živali voda v zobozdravstveni enoti mikrobna kontaminacija protokoli čiščenja biofilm true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Članek v reviji 2025-10-22 04:35:00 2025-11-20 13:28:38 2025-12-04 03:56:59 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2025 0 0 9 str. Vol. 12, art. 1639712 2025 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 636.09:616.31 2297-1769 10.3389/fvets.2025.1639712 242536195 Microbial-Nemec.pdf Microbial-Nemec.pdf 1 DBBE39452823981BE89C682519E59986 23e1043c123ac1a4a4f7f039f2362dc783d4eebd6b19eae03580704f4e0ece8f 1973ae55-afed-11f0-9328-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=220718 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2025.1639712/full 1 7042f4ed-aeef-11f0-9328-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=220548 Veterinarska fakulteta 0 0 0