Factors influencing compliance with infection control practice in Japanese dentists

In recent years, dentists have more opportunity of treating patients infected with blood-borne pathogens. Although compliance with infection control practice (ICP) in dental practice is required, it is not still sufficiently spread in Japan.

To identify factors associated with compliance with ICPs in the population of Japanese dentists.

In a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study in 2009, 2134 dentists in Aichi prefecture, Japan, were surveyed. They were asked for their demographic characteristics, willingness to treat HIV/AIDS patients, and knowledge about universal/standard precautions and ICP.

Many ICP items had significant association with age, specialty for oral surgery, number of patients treated per day, willingness to treat HIV/AIDS patients and knowledge about the universal/standard precautions. In logistic regression model, knowledge about the precautions had significant associations with all ICP items. Among participants with disadvantageous characteristic group for ICP (ie, age ≥50 years, being general dentist, and treating ≤35 patients/day), knowledge about the universal/standard precautions had greater impact on exchanging handpiece for each patient and installing extra-oral vacuum in those with age of ≥50 years than in those who visited ≤35 patient per day.

Knowledge about the meaning of universal/standard precautions is the most significant predictor of compliance with ICPs among Japanese dentists.