Infection control: a survey of UK special care dentists and dental care professionals.
OBJECTIVE
To determine attitudes to and practice of infection control among practitioners involved in special care dentistry.


METHODS
A questionnaire on the issues of decontamination and infection control was sent to all 680 members of the British Society for Disability and Oral Health.


RESULTS
The response rate was 63.5%. Almost all respondents (95%) reported having a local infection-control policy; most (97%) had local protocols for the management of inoculation injuries; most (81%) gave new staff training in infection-control procedures and most (74%) provided updates for established staff. Most respondents 'usually' or 'always' provided eye protection for patients (95%) and themselves (93%). Virtually all routinely wore gloves, and nearly all (94%) 'always' changed gloves between patients. The majority 'usually' or 'always' disinfected or disposed of surface coverings between patients (98%), sterilised all non-disposable instruments that had been set out for the patient (99%), and disinfected laboratory work (96%).


CONCLUSIONS
There was high awareness of infection-control issues, and good reported compliance among these dental workers.
Scully
Crispian
C
UCL, Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, UK.
Moles
David R
DR
Fiske
Janice
J
D000062:Accidents, Occupational; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003666:Decontamination; D003727:Dental Auxiliaries / Q000191:economics; D017742:Dental Care for Chronically Ill; D003815:Dentists; D004203:Disinfection; D005135:Eye Protective Devices; D005932:Gloves, Surgical; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D019552:Infection Control, Dental / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D007318:Inservice Training; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists'; D013242:Sterilization; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D014611:Vaccination
D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines