Awareness & Application of Infection Control Protocols by Dental Professionals in Clinical Settings

Abstract

Background: Infection control is central to patient and occupational safety in dentistry due to routine exposure to blood, saliva, aerosols, and sharps, yet translation of knowledge into consistent clinical practice remains challenging among trainees and early-career providers. Objective: To assess awareness, training exposure, and implementation of infection control protocols among dental students and early-career dental professionals in clinical settings, and to evaluate associations between training/awareness and key preventive practices. Methods: A cross-sectional observational survey was conducted over approximately three months among clinically active third- and fourth-year dental students, interns, and recent graduates from private, government, semi-government, and international institutions. Data were collected using a structured online questionnaire assessing hand hygiene, alcohol-based hand rub use, PPE training and use, hepatitis B vaccination status, biomedical waste disposal, and post-exposure management. Descriptive statistics were reported as frequencies and percentages. Associations between categorical variables were tested using chi-square tests, with effect sizes quantified using Cramér’s V; statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: Among 240 respondents, 59.6% reported consistent hand hygiene before and after each patient interaction and 26.3% reported always using full PPE. Color-coded waste disposal was followed by 44.2%, while 34.2% adhered to the full post-exposure protocol; 29.2% reported workplace availability of post-exposure prophylaxis. Training exposures were significantly associated with better compliance, including seminars with hand hygiene (χ²=34.153, p<0.001; V=0.38), formal training with full PPE use (χ²=68.029, p<0.001; V=0.53), and awareness with complete hepatitis B vaccination and immunity testing (χ²=71.504, p<0.001; V=0.55). Conclusion: Despite generally adequate awareness, consistent implementation of infection control measures—particularly full PPE, waste disposal, and post-exposure management—remains suboptimal; structured training and institutional reinforcement are strongly associated with improved adherence.