MADISON, Wis., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ — It is not pleasant to think about, but the small pipes and hoses that carry water to your mouth in dentists’ offices can easily become contaminated. Bacterial fouling of dental unit waterlines is dangerous when levels exceed the American Dental Association’s recommended maximum of 200 colony forming units per milliliter of water. To ensure safety, dental professionals must follow frequent maintenance and cleaning schedules, particularly after low-flow periods such as weekends or holidays when the water stagnates and bacterial biofilms can grow. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recognize this risk, and have awarded Nerites Corporation a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research grant to develop anti-fouling coatings for dental waterlines.
Nerites technology provides a surface coating for the waterlines that repels cells and macromolecules. Bacteria are not able to attach, and therefore cannot colonize to form biofilms. This new approach could eliminate the need for routine decontamination of the waterlines, and dramatically reduce the risk of bacterial infection for dental patients and professionals who come into contact with contaminated water.
“Copious amounts of water are used for rinsing and cooling in dental procedures, and bacterial biofilms can build up quickly if safety procedures are not followed diligently,” stated Nerites CEO Thomas Mozer. “The risk of infection is acute for dental patients with compromised immune systems due to disease or drug therapy. We believe that the Nerites anti-fouling coating technology can be applied to dental waterlines with great effectiveness, and we’re appreciative that NIH selected us to continue this important work.”
About Nerites: Nerites Corporation develops synthetic adhesives, sealants, and coatings for internal medical use. The hydrogel technology can be used to close internal tears or incisions, to seal tissues and prevent leakage and infection, and to affix synthetic or biologic medical devices. Properties can be “tuned” to fit each application. The technology was described with a cover article in the journal Nature (July, 2007) and was labeled “one of the top 100 scientific developments of 2007” by Discover Magazine. (http://www.nerites.com/)
CONTACT: Jediah White, Director of Business Development of Nerites Corporation, +1-847-727-1747, jwhite@nerites.com
