title: Dental Student Hand Hygiene Decreased With Increased Clinical Experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effectiveness, related knowledge, attitudes, and practices of hand hygiene (HH) among dental students with different levels of clinical experience.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional analytical study. Bacterial samples on the participants' hands were obtained using a swab technique before and after handwashing, for oral surgical procedures. After culturing, the colony-forming units were counted. Self-reported questionnaires reflecting the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to HH were completed by the participants.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was performed in a primary oral health care institution, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok, Thailand). Bacterial samples and self-reported questionnaires were collected in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Bacterial culture was performed in the Department of Microbiology.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 120 participants comprised first, second, third-year clinical training students (CTs), and postgraduate dental students (PGs) (32, 34, 30, and 24 participants, respectively).
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 99% of the bacteria were eliminated from the participants' hands after handwashing. Significantly higher numbers of bacteria were recovered from the hands of the PGs compared with those of the CTs, and the hands of the third-year CTs compared with those of the first-year CTs (p < 0.001), after HH. The first-year CTs had the highest attitude scores, whereas the PGs had the lowest practice scores. The knowledge scores were similar in all groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HH effectiveness, attitudes, and practices of dental students decreased as students gained more clinical experience, whereas knowledge did not. Our results suggest that HH instruction should be given throughout the duration of dental students' education.
authors: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors: Nanmanas
authors: N
authors: Yaembut
authors: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Dentistry Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors: Ruchanee S
authors: RS
authors: Ampornaramveth
authors: Department of Community Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors: Pagaporn P
authors: PP
authors: Pisarnturakit
authors: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. Electronic address: skeskanya@gmail.com.
authors: Keskanya
authors: K
authors: Subbalekha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000382:microbiology*; D006235:Hand Disinfection; D063373:Hand Hygiene; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000193:education*; D013335:Students, Dental; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013785:Thailand
keywords: Medical Knowledge; Practiced-Based Learning and Improvement; clinical experience; dental students; hand hygiene; handwashing; oral surgery