Changes in compliance with recommended infection control practices and affecting factors among dentists in Taiwan

Compliance with recommended infection control practices in East Asia has not been clearly documented. To investigate changes in compliance with recommended infection control practices over a eleven-year period and to identify affecting factors, two nationwide cross-sectional surveys of dentists in Taiwan were conducted in 1999 and 2010. An anonymous questionnaire that assessed characteristics of dentists and practices of recommended infection control guidelines was mailed. Results showed that all infection control practices surveyed had improved in 2010. Factors affecting compliance with wearing basic protective barriers in 2010 were being female (odds ratio [OR]=3.631, p<0.001), aged forty-one to fifty years (OR=3.991, p<0.05), treating twenty-one to thirty patients per day (OR=2.690, p<0.05), and having information sources from seminars and conferences (OR=2.659, p<0.05). Although infection control practices have improved over time, there is still much room to increase rates of wearing a head cap, protective eyewear, and a face mask and disinfecting impression materials. Providing correct information about disinfection and sterilization processes through the Internet might be effective in improving compliance.