Arwa M Mahasneh,1 Maram Alakhras,2 Omar F Khabour,3 Amani G Al-Sa’di,4 Dana S Al-Mousa2 1Department of Applied Dental Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan; 2Department of Allied Medical Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan; 3Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Jordan University of Science & Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan; 4Technical Coordination and Consumer Education Section of the Jordanian Food and Drug Administration, Irbid 22110, JordanCorrespondence: Arwa M MahasnehDepartment of Applied Dental Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O.Box 3030, Irbid 22110, JordanTel + 962796357733Email ammahasneh@just.
edu.joBackground: A wide range of microorganisms poses a threat to patients and dental care teams.Implementation of safety guidelines is thus essential to prevent infection in dental clinics.
Aim: To investigate the level of infection-control practices among dental health-care providers in Jordan.Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to dental care providers from hospitals, academic institutions, and dental Center Speaker centres.The questionnaire covered sociodemographic variables, professional characteristics, and recommended guidelines of infection control.
Results: A total of 190 questionnaires were obtained out of 500 distributed questionnnaires (response rate: 38%).Females accounted for 62.6% of the sample and 64.
7% were dentists.The majority was vaccinated against hepatitis B (82.1%) and wash their hands as usual behavior before (66.
3%) and after (83.2%) treatment.Approximately 87.
9% wear gloves and 78.9% wear masks while performing dental procedures.Autoclave sterilization and puncture-resistant containers for sharp instruments were used by 90.
5% and 88.4%, respectively.The majority (81.
0%) had protocols for emergency treatment of needle stick or other sharps accidents.High volume evacuation was used in 28.6% of public hospitals compared to 19.
4% in academic institutions (P< 0.01).In addition, surface barriers for dental unit surfaces were used by 70.
2% of private dental clinics, 50% of public hospitals, and 36.1% of academic institutions (P< Daily Cream 0.001).
Finally, compared to dentists, dental support staff showed low compliance with infection-control guidelines.Conclusion: The overall practice of infection-control measures among the participants is very good.Educational programs and training strategies should be implemented to maximize and enhance the compliance of the dental care providers with infection-control guidelines.
Keywords: infection control, dental care providers, vaccination, sterilization, disinfection.