Dental bib chains and clips harbor possibly dangerous pathogens, according to a study conducted at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry.
UNC researchers in the school's oral microbiology lab sampled 50 bib clips from hygiene and dental operatories, and found that 20% of the clips showed a measurable presence of staphylococci, streptococci, pseudomonas, and the enteric bacteria E. coli.
Microorganisms found on the bib clips in the UNC study were not just from skin but also from saliva and/or plaque, skin, or water lines. Additionally, bib chains tested in the hygiene environment were found to have equal growth as those in an operative, periodontic/endodontic environment.
The data summary and analysis of the UNC study are on file with Dux Dental.
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