Compliance with infection-control procedures among Illinois orthodontists

The authors of previous studies have reported an increasing percentage of orthodontists complying with infection-control procedures in their offices, yet compliance was found to be less than ideal. In this study we surveyed Illinois orthodontists to evaluate their compliance with the infection-control guidelines established by the American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This study is an addition to a small number of studies in the field of orthodontics on infection-control procedures. The study population was taken from the World Directory of Orthodontists, which contains 374 listings for the state of Illinois. Responses were received from 140 orthodontists, for a response rate of 37%. Thirty-two percent of the responding orthodontists stated that they always wear masks; 13% said they never do. Almost 97% of the orthodontists said they always wear gloves, and no orthodontist reported never wearing gloves. Nearly 64% of the orthodontists reported always using eyewear, and 34% said they wear gowns, whereas only 5% do not wear eye protection and 35% never wear gowns. With regard to instruments and pliers, most of the orthodontists reported using dry-heat ovens (72% and 80%, respectively), whereas nearly 58% said they use chemical disinfection to some extent on instruments and 39% said they use chemical disinfection on pliers. Only 51% of the orthodontists surveyed in our study reported using a steam autoclave to sterilize handpieces, whereas 27% said they use dry-heat ovens, 11% reported using chemical vapor, and 37% said they use chemical disinfection. In conclusion, compliance with infection control procedures among orthodontists has improved from recent studies but is still less than full compliance.