Compliance with infection-control procedures among Illinois orthodontists.
The authors of previous studies have reported an increasing percentage of orthodontists complying with infection-control procedures in their offices, yet compliance was found to be less than ideal. In this study we surveyed Illinois orthodontists to evaluate their compliance with the infection-control guidelines established by the American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This study is an addition to a small number of studies in the field of orthodontics on infection-control procedures. The study population was taken from the World Directory of Orthodontists, which contains 374 listings for the state of Illinois. Responses were received from 140 orthodontists, for a response rate of 37%. Thirty-two percent of the responding orthodontists stated that they always wear masks; 13% said they never do. Almost 97% of the orthodontists said they always wear gloves, and no orthodontist reported never wearing gloves. Nearly 64% of the orthodontists reported always using eyewear, and 34% said they wear gowns, whereas only 5% do not wear eye protection and 35% never wear gowns. With regard to instruments and pliers, most of the orthodontists reported using dry-heat ovens (72% and 80%, respectively), whereas nearly 58% said they use chemical disinfection to some extent on instruments and 39% said they use chemical disinfection on pliers. Only 51% of the orthodontists surveyed in our study reported using a steam autoclave to sterilize handpieces, whereas 27% said they use dry-heat ovens, 11% reported using chemical vapor, and 37% said they use chemical disinfection. In conclusion, compliance with infection control procedures among orthodontists has improved from recent studies but is still less than full compliance.
Davis
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Department of Orthodontics, University of Illinois College of Dentistry, Chicago, USA.
BeGole
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EA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000571:American Dental Association; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D002648:Child; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004203:Disinfection / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005135:Eye Protective Devices; D005932:Gloves, Surgical; D006235:Hand Disinfection; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D017053:Infection Control; D008397:Masks; D009970:Orthodontics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000458:organization & administration; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011481:Protective Clothing; D013242:Sterilization / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D014481:United States; D014489:United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration
D004202:Disinfectants