16S rRNA sequencing of biofilms in the dental unit waterlines
This study aims to characterize the microbial community shifts in biofilms formed inside newly installed dental chair unit (DCU) waterlines. Biofilm samples were collected from two types of tubing (high-speed handpiece and air/water syringe) at two time points: baseline (immediately after installation, before any clinical use) and after 6 months of routine clinical use. The V3-V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified using primers 341F/805R and sequenced on the DNBSEQ-G99 platform (2 x 250 bp paired-end). The data are used to compare microbial diversity, community composition, and differential abundance of genera between baseline and post-use samples.