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When an unsterilized bib chain is placed around your neck, you may be exposed to dangerous pathogens including pseudomonas, E. coli and Staph aureus – the most common cause of staph infections and a potential “superbug.”

Noel Kelsch, a national infection control columnist, Registered Dental Hygienist and former President of the California Dental Hygienists’ Association, conducted a study on various types of dental chains and clips after seeing debris falling from a chain she had planned to use to protect her uniform at lunch. What she found led her to write an article titled “Don’t Clip that Crud on Me” for RDH Magazine, a trade publication for dental hygienists.

Cross contamination can occur when a bib chain ‘grabs’ onto hair or accumulates patients’ sweat, make-up, and neck acne, not to mention the oral substances that spray out of the mouth. During a dental cleaning, saliva, plaque and even blood can come in contact with the bib and bib chain. While you might think these types of nasty contaminants won’t find their way into your system, all it takes is for you or one of the dental workers to come in contact with them. If you touch your neck after a dental visit and then rub your eye, you may have just cross-contaminated yourself.

“Studies have shown the more cracks, crevices and indentations on a bib chain, the higher the bacterial count. The problem with this when we use the same bib chain with patient, after patient, after patient, the accumulation creates a risk for cross-contamination.”

One specific study Kelsch conducted involved taking samples of bacteria found in a major U.S. airport bathroom and comparing them to the bacteria found on a used bib clip.

“What we were trying to do was put across to the public how bacteria-laden a bib clip can be, and what we discovered was, by looking at a bathroom floor at a busy airport, and looking at this bib chain, we got about the same level of bacteria in both of them. This is a risk that everyone needs to be aware of.”