Chemical pipe cleaner used on children in dental clinic

The experience for 43 children treated inadvertently with a chemical pipe cleaner at a HSE dental clinic last October was “devastating”.

That is according to the HSE who yesterday apologised for the harm caused to the children and their families over the pipe cleaner, ‘Red Streak’, containing the Potassium Hydroxide 5%, contaminating water used to clean the mouths of children during dental procedures at the HSE-run Ennis Dental Clinic.

In a 37-page report on the incident over October 4 and October 5 last, the HSE found 15 of the 43 children exposed to the poisoned water suffered “adverse localised symptoms ranging from mild burning sensation to blistering and ulceration of the mouth”.