Compliance with occupational exposure risk management procedures in a dental school setting

Background The Dental Institute at King's College London has recently implemented changes focusing on infection control, including safety needle provision, personal protective equipment campaigns, mandatory lectures and formal assessment for students. We explored the effect of these changes over a five-year period.Methods We observed 49 clinical consultations in 2010 and 50 in 2014, examining clinician attire, personal protective equipment, dental operatory management, sharps hazards and aseptic technique.Results One hundred percent of operators wore gloves, apron and masks, 94% wore eye protection, 98% had uncovered wrists and 88% had tidy hair. Ninety-four percent wore safe shoes, 86% were of appropriate material, and 70-82% demonstrated correct zoning technique. Safe sharps bin placement improved from 78% to 100%, 92% were not overfilled, and 96% were free from protruding items. Sixty-eight percent of bays were appropriately barrier wrapped, 78-88% were kept tidy and 96% were free of items that could have been disposed of immediately following use. Ninety to ninety-eight percent of ultrasonic tips and 64% of burs were removed from handpieces when not in use.Conclusion Dental healthcare workers are at risk of significant occupational exposures, which can be minimised by technological advances, implementation of best practice guidelines, optimisation of the clinical working environment and reinforcement of infection control policy.