A survey on some principles of cross-infection control in dental health centers in Isfahan

Cross-infection control in dental offices is of great priority because of continuous contact with contaminated oral fluids and saliva. Therefore the aim of this study was to evaluate some principles of cross-infection control in dental health centers in Isfahan. This cross-sectional study was carried out on 117 general dentists and specialists working in private dental offices and clinics in Isfahan in 2013‒2014. The subjects were selected using simple sampling technique. Data were collected with a questionnaire consisting of 18 questions on sterilization of instruments, disinfection of prostheses received from the laboratory, impressions and personal protection techniques during treatment procedures. Data were analyzed with SPSS 20 using descriptive statistics and Kruskal‒Wallis and chi-squared tests (α=0.05). Use of eyeglasses was more common in specialists (p value < 0.001). Specialists were more careful about disinfection of prostheses after checking them in the oral cavity before sending them to the laboratory compared to general practitioners (p value = 0.001). There was no significant difference between the two groups in rinsing impressions after retrieving them from the oral cavity (p value = 0.245). However, specialists paid more attention to disinfection of impressions after removing them from the patients’ oral cavities compared to general practitioners (p value = 0.002). Under the limitations of the present study, it can be concluded that observation of the principles of cross-infection control was at a moderate level in dental treatment centers in Isfahan.