Patient perception of cross-infection prevention in dentistry

A questionnaire survey was conducted among 301 dental hospital and general practice patients in the Glasgow region to assess their perception and awareness of cross-infection preventive methods used in dentistry. Sixty percent of the respondents were aware that dentists have been advised to wear gloves routinely, and a large majority thought that the gloves were for the dentists' own protection. Almost all the respondents did not mind the dentist wearing either gloves or masks during treatment. One third of the total population were ignorant about sterilization methods used in dentistry. One half of the hospital patients and one third of the general practice patients thought that infectious diseases could be contracted via the dentist or his instruments. Although two in three of the respondents surmised that transmission of AIDS in the dental clinic is unlikely, one half of the general practice patients were unwilling to visit the dentist if the latter was known to treat patients with AIDS. This survey indicates that there is a great deal of confusion and fear among the public on cross-infection in the dental clinic, which needs to be rectified by a properly targeted health education campaign.