- Dr. Jade Kim, DDS
- Seattle, Washington
How a routine water test in one Seattle operatory turned into a tablet and a protocol.
Why we started
I have always believed that dentistry is not just about fixing teeth. It is about protecting lives. A few years ago, I came across a heartbreaking article about patients who developed severe infections after routine dental visits. The cause was contaminated waterlines filled with biofilm, layers of bacteria that grow inside dental tubing.
That story stopped me in my tracks. As a dentist, patient safety has always been at the heart of what I do. I thought my office waterlines were perfectly clean. After all, I had remodeled my practice and used bottled distilled water from day one. But after reading that article, I decided to test my own water.
Results came back and I was shocked. My waterlines were full of harmful bacteria. That moment changed everything for me.
From research to solution
I dove into learning everything I could about biofilm: what it is, how it grows, and why it is so hard to eliminate. I discovered that biofilm is practically inevitable because dental offices are not open around the clock, and stagnant water allows bacteria to thrive. I began working with dental waterline companies and used their tablets exactly as recommended.
Even after following every step, results were inconsistent. Sometimes tests failed and I had to shock the lines repeatedly just to stay compliant. I started worrying about whether my patients were truly safe. I knew there had to be a better way. My research eventually led me to a medical device company that made waterline tablets for hospital steam units used on open heart surgery patients. Their technology was far beyond what I had seen in dentistry, so I decided to test their tablet in my own dental units.
The results were incredible. There was zero bacterial growth without routine shocking.
Why LineTab
The product was pH neutral, non-corrosive, and completely safe for my patients and equipment. Unlike many other tablets on the market, it did not rely on silver, a heavy metal that can accumulate in the body and is not very effective against biofilm. For the first time, I felt confident that my patients were truly protected. That was when I knew I could not keep this to myself. LineTab became a simple, reliable, and affordable tablet that works powerfully against biofilm without compromising equipment or safety.
What changed in my own practice came down to three things: testing became routine rather than occasional, the chemistry had to be pH-neutral and equipment-friendly, and daily compliance had to be simple enough that it actually happened every day.