Publication

Abstract : Background: The aims of this study was to determine the practice of infection control among the dental professionals practicing in private dental clinics in Ernakulam city, and public’s perception of infection control measures. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted with a sample of 84 private dental clinics and 152 respondents from the general public in Ernakulam city. A 24 item self-administered close-ended questionnaire was used for the dentists and a 13 item semi-structured questionnaire with both open and closed ended questions administered to the general public. Data obtained from both populations were tabulated and analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses using Chi-square test (α = 0.05). Results: The final sample consisted of 66 dental clinics. Most of the dentists complied with the use of barrier techniques (gloves and mouth mask) during patient care. Almost half of the dentists had no knowledge of their auxiliaries being vaccinated against hepatitis B. With regard to the general public, 58% of the people had concerns regarding the methods used by the dentists to sterilize dental instruments, yet most of them (77%) did not avoid the dental treatment due to perceived cross infection risk. Conclusion: Results of this study revealed that the level of infection control practices adopted by the private dental clinics in the city was inadequate in a few areas. It was found necessary to educate, raise awareness, and promote continuing dental education aimed at improving dental safety.