Practice Guide4 tablet systems
LineTab, BluTab, ICX, and Citrisil: Dental Waterline Tablets Compared
Compare labeled tablet volumes, refill routines, shock instructions, and evidence for LineTab, BluTab, A-dec ICX, and Citrisil.
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Dental Waterline Maintenance Cost Calculator
Estimate the program your practice actually uses. Change refill rates, quotes, test frequency, shock supplies, and labor instead of relying on a generic cost per chair.
Published by LineTabUpdated Sources checked
Estimate your annual program
The example starts with LineTab's current listed retail pack and editable operating assumptions. Enter your actual prices and protocol before using the result as a budget. Frequency controls are cost inputs; they do not prescribe a clinical schedule.
Annual estimate
- Maintenance consumables
- $792.00
- Testing
- $840.00
- Shock supplies
- $180.00
- Staff time
- $475.00
- Recurring annual total
- $2,287.00
- Recurring per chair
- $381.17
- First year including startup
- $2,287.00
How the estimate works
Consumable allocation uses the amount expected to be used, so it can include fractions of a pack. The tool separately shows whole maintenance packs to purchase. Taxes, shipping, unused stock, emergency service, and unentered installation costs are not automatically added.
For a worked example: six chairs, 240 days, one refill per chair/day, one tablet per refill, and 100 tablets per pack use 1,440 tablets. At $55 per pack, allocated maintenance cost is $792.00; purchasing 15 packs costs $825.00 before taxes and shipping. Other program costs depend on the inputs below.
| Category | Calculation |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Chairs × operating days × refills per chair/day × units per refill × pack price ÷ units per pack. |
| Testing | Chairs × tests per chair/year × samples per chair/test × price per sample. |
| Shock supplies | Chairs × shock events per chair/year × supply cost per chair/event. |
| Labor | Chairs × (refill tasks + test tasks + shock tasks) in minutes ÷ 60 × hourly cost. |
| First year | Recurring annual estimate + one-time startup cost. |
Use the same assumptions when comparing systems
- Match tablet dose and treated volume to the actual labeled product.
- For a cartridge or liquid system, enter consumable units and tasks that reflect its own instructions.
- Enter real supplier quotes and each protocol's required testing and shock work.
- Do not assume that switching eliminates testing, remedial treatment, or all staff time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the cost calculator prescribe testing or shocking frequency?
No. It calculates costs from your inputs. Set the schedule using the equipment and product instructions, test results, and applicable rules.
Sources
- LineTab Set-Up GuideLineTab · Last checked October 5, 2026
- Best Practices for Dental Unit Water QualityCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · Last checked October 5, 2026
Requirements vary by state and by equipment manufacturer. Always follow your dental unit and treatment product instructions for use, and confirm current rules with your state dental board.