Infection control among dentists in private practice in Durban

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Infection Control
• Public Health

Background:

• Fear and alarm surrounding HIV/AIDS necessitate high standards of patient care.
• Assessing infection control practices is crucial in private dental practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the current state of infection control procedures among dentists in private practice in Durban.
• To identify gaps in adherence to infection control guidelines.

Main Methods:

• A survey using a 44-item self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 75 dentists.
• A response rate of 90.7% (68 dentists) was achieved.
• Data collected included use of personal protective equipment, sterilization methods, and handling of sharps and impressions.

Main Results:

• High use of gloves (97.1%) and masks (82.4%), but lower use of protective eyewear (52.9%).
• Low rates of autoclaving handpieces (45.2% high speed, 39.7% slow speed).
• Significant non-adherence in using rubber dams (60%), disinfecting impressions (46.3%), and safe handling of local anesthetic cartridges (6%) and needles (1.5%).
• 13.8% reported needlestick injuries, with poor post-injury protocol adherence.
• High Hepatitis B immunization in dentists (90%) but low in staff (>60% not immunized).

Conclusions:

• Adherence to universally accepted infection control guidelines among dentists in private practice remains low.
• The findings highlight critical areas for improvement in infection control to mitigate risks associated with the HIV pandemic.