An Assessment of Compliance with Infection Control Protocols amongst Dental Health Care Personnel in a Tertiary Health Facility in Southern Nigeria.

Abstract

Dental practitioners are at a very high risk of cross infection due to multiple exposures with patients who may be asymptomatic carriers of infectious diseases. The study focused on Dental Health Care Personnel who are presently working in the Dental Centre of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and it assessed the compliance to infection control practices. A self-administered questionnaire containing closed and open-ended questions was used. Information sought included; socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, duration as DHCP, knowledge of transmissible infections in dental clinics, level of compliance with infection control protocols and reasons for non-compliance. One hundred and thirty-five (135) Dental Health Care Personnel of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital were enrolled for this study. However, a total of one hundred and eleven questionnaires were properly filled and returned for analysis, giving a response rate of 82.2%. Fifty-two (46.8%) respondents, had good compliance, twelve (10.8%), had fair compliance and forty-seven (42.3%) had poor level of compliance. Although, the average level of compliance of the DHCP of UBTH was good, some basic important principles were not being observed. The study concludes in the affirmative that strict observance of standard infection control practices is possible.