Microbiology
Maryam Omidkhoda; Ali Kazemian; Seyedeh Zahra Siadatifar; Athar Nasseri
Abstract
Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges for healthcare professionals, particularly in the field of dentistry. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in infection control measures in dentistry before and during the pandemic among Iranian dentists.Methods: An analytical cross-sectional ...
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Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges for healthcare professionals, particularly in the field of dentistry. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in infection control measures in dentistry before and during the pandemic among Iranian dentists.Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from June to December 2020, and included dental healthcare professionals (DHCPs) practicing dentistry in Iran. Participants completed a web-based survey that included demographic profiles, practice-related details, and information on implemented infection control measures. Data were subjected to statistical analysis using the software SPSS v. 26, and a P-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 303 dentists, 200 (66%) of whom practiced specialized dentistry and 103 (34%) were general dentists, responded to the questionnaire. The majority of participating dentists (85.5%) were aware of the importance of patient screening for COVID-19 symptoms. There was a statistically significant rise in adherence to hand hygiene practices. The utilization of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves, masks, and face shields also exhibited significant increases amid the pandemic. Dentists shifted from using surgical masks to N95 respirators (p=0.05) and white coats to disposable gowns (p<0.001). We noted a significantly greater tendency towards adopting air ventilation systems, surface disinfection and prescribing preprocedural mouth rinses among DHCPs.Conclusion: The study findings indicate increased compliance with infection control protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic among Iranian DHCPs and highlight the modifications made to infection control measures in dentistry.
Livia Barenghi; Alberto Barenghi; Alberto Di Blasio
Abstract
Context: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently published its “Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care”, but information concerning compliance, occupational hazards, and specific recommendations for orthodontic facilities ...
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Context: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently published its “Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care”, but information concerning compliance, occupational hazards, and specific recommendations for orthodontic facilities is less widely available.
Evidence Acquisition: We searched electronic English articles published in PubMed and Google Scholar databases (2010- May 2016) using various combinations of the key indexing terms. Results: 95 articles were selected for comprehensive reading according to the inclusion criteria. Problems and difficulties for orthodontic offices in applying the recommendations have been divided into nine focus areas concerning the quality of supplies, the procedures necessary to adhere to the standard precautions of hand hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette, sharps safety, orthodontic instrument reconditioning, cleaning and disinfecting clinical contact surfaces and dental unit water lines, and impression disinfection.
Conclusions: On the basis of our experience in a university department of orthodontics and private orthodontic offices, we believe that innovative thinking based on better knowledge, education and training, ergonomics, and task-specific, evidence-based guidelines and resources are required to improve compliance with infection control recommendations.
