Infection control practices among a cohort of Brazilian dentists.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate infection control practices among dentists in private and public practice.


METHODS
Survey and cross-sectional analysis.


METHODS
Sertãozinho city, Brazil.


METHODS
All dentists who were currently working at the study city, and agreed to participate, resulting in a study population of 135 dentists.


METHODS
Participants were personally interviewed and variables were submitted to chi2 or Fisher's exact test.


RESULTS
Hand washing before and after each patient was reported by 86.7% of dentists, but private practitioners used liquid soap and paper towels more often than their public colleagues (p < 0.001). Most of the study population (97.8%) used gloves routinely during clinical sessions, but 8.2% reused them. Dry-heat was the main method employed for sterilisation of heat-stable devices by 80.0% of dentists, but adequate temperature and time of exposure was accomplished by only 32.1% of public and 70.0% of private professionals (p < 0.001). Heat-sensitive devices were disinfected with an adequate substance by 60.0% of both affiliation dentists (p = 0.908).


CONCLUSIONS
There is a large gap between infection control recommendations and practices observed among the study population, and the situation is worse in public services. To reverse that situation, infection control issues must be openly debated by professional associations, dental schools and health authorities.
Bellissimo-Rodrigues
Wanessa Teixeira
WT
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil. wanessat@ig.com.br
Bellissimo-Rodrigues
Fernando
F
Machado
Alcyone Artioli
AA