Awareness of microbial cross-contamination control among dentists during the fixed prosthodontic treatment at Aljabal Alakhdar region, Libya

Abstract

Background:  The transmission of pathogenic micro-organisms in the fixed prosthodontic clinic may occur  by injection, inhalation, ingestion, or contact with mucosa or skin. The purpose of cross-contamination control is to avoid or reduce the spread of microorganisms among the dental team & patients. There are fundamental practices which need to be strictly adhered to by fixed prosthodontists to avoid infections in their clinics. These include special disinfecting procedures, use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), hand hygiene and immunization, etc. Since most of the fixed prosthodontic patients in Aljabal-Alakhdar region are performing their dental healthcare in private clinics, the purpose of our survey was to assess the level of awareness, attitude, & actual practice of infection control guidelines among the participants   during fixed prosthodontic treatment. Materials and methods:  This survey was performed by the use of well-designed questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of 75 questions in different aspects of microbial cross-contamination control guidelines in fixed prosthodontic practice.  Those  75 items are related to infection control knowledge & practices during fixed prosthodontic treatment procedures. The questionnaire  was distributed among 103 private clinics dentists in Aljabal Alakhdar region, Libya.  For each question, the number of responses received was tabulated and converted to a percentage, and then statistically analyzed. Results: Out of 129 dentists surveyed, 103 (79.8%) responded to the questionnaire. The rate of response was 79.8%. Females accounted for 70 (67.9%) of the sample and the remaining 33(32.1%) were male dentists. The majority of the participants have got vaccination against hepatitis B virus (82.1%). The participants have reported hand-washing before (66.3%) and after (83.2%) any fixed prosthodontic procedure. About 87.9% of the participants are wearing pair of gloves & 78.9% of them are wearing face masks during fixed prosthodontic treatment. Heat-sterilization of the contaminated dental instruments by the use of an autoclave & disposal of sharp items in puncture-resistant containers were utilized by 90.5% and 88.4%, respectively. Approximately (81.0%) have stated that they had sharp injuries emergency treatment protocols. 28.6% of the respondents utilized high-volume evacuation.   Results from this survey suggest that there is very good knowledge & practice of microbial cross-contamination control. Conclusion: The awareness & practice of cross-contamination control guidelines of the participating dentists good. Continued dental education & obligatory cross-infection control training programs are required to enhance & update the awareness and practice.

Keywords: Disinfection, Infection control, microbial cross-contamination, fixed Prosthodontists, fixed prosthodontic clinic, sterilization, Aljabal Alakhdar, Libya.