Dental unit waterline safety remains a critical and sometimes misunderstood component of infection prevention. Despite awareness campaigns and updated guidelines, many practices still underestimate the risks posed by untreated or untested waterlines.

Michelle Strange, RDH—an educator, speaker, and practicing hygienist—has seen this first-hand and recently shared her insights on the importance of testing, along with her experience using the FASTCheck15™ from Solmetex, which was recently named a winner of the 2025 Cellerant Best of Class Hygiene Award.

While Strange says most practices know they need to be treating their waterlines and ensuring they are not contaminated with potentially dangerous pathogens, the optimal protocols and procedures are not always being followed.

This is where the FASTCheck15 can become an important part of a practice’s operations. A simple chairside water quality test that takes just 15 minutes, FASTCheck15 provides a clear indication of whether tested water meets standards or if there is contamination present in the line.

Strange points out that lab-based R2A testing remains the gold standard for waterline monitoring. Those tests provide a detailed picture of the microbial growth from a sample. However, it takes several days to incubate and process those results, which could mean a contaminated waterline remains in use until the test results are available.

Strange reiterates that the FASTCheck15 was specifically designed to fill this gap. The ability to obtain a pass/fail result in about 15 minutes offers practices a convenient way to know whether their water is safe to use in between use of the more time-consuming, lab-based tests. She first implemented FASTCheck15 as a part her mobile dentistry workflow.

She now uses the tests as a part of the waterline cleaning protocols in her solo hygiene practice. The simplicity of the test is a huge advantage, and the results are easy to read. A faint line indicates the presences of unsafe levels of bacteria, and thus a failed test.

“It’s like a pregnancy test or a COVID test,” she says. “The result is clear. Pregnant or not pregnant, COVID or not COVID, passing or not passing.”

Strange describes the FASTCheck15 as a fast, inexpensive way to identify problems before they impact patient care. “It is essentially allowing us to provide safe dental care, knowing those waterlines are actually safe to use,” she says. “If you have protocols in place, you have a good rhythm of all your infection control programs, but specifically looking at your water lines, you’re probably going to pass.”

Rather than replacing lab-based testing, FASTCheck15 complements it. Strange recommends a layered approach: quarterly R2A testing for detailed microbial analysis, combined with monthly or situational FASTCheck15 screenings to confirm daily safety.

One of the test’s greatest strengths is its ease of use, Strange adds. A few drops of water are placed into a vial, a strip is inserted, and results are visible within minutes.

For practices hesitant about additional infection control steps, Strange sees FASTCheck15 as an easy entry point. The tests are inexpensive and simple to use. Strange challenges practices that feel they are doing a great job keeping the waterlines safe to put it to the test.

“Are the things you’re doing working for you? You literally have no idea unless you are testing. Otherwise, you’re just working off hopes and prayers and feelings, and that’s not what we’re trying to do in infection prevention,” she says.

For Strange, the bottom line is patient safety. When it comes to infection prevention, good vibes and assumptions are not good enough. FASTCheck15 can help a practice catch problems early, protect patients, and stay confident that infection control protocols are working.

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