Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Infection Control Procedures among Dentists of Karachi

Aim: Infection control is crucial in any clinical setting. It is vital that all dentists must follow the infection control protocols in their clinics to prevent cross-infection. In a dental clinic, even simple dental procedures including extractions, scaling and root planning, dental crown preparations and root canal treatment, have a high risk of exposure to blood, which may cause transmission blood-borne diseases. Dentist’s compliance with these guidelines and recommendations have been recently studied in different parts of the world. Hence this study was performed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding infection control measures among private dental practioners in Karachi, Pakistan.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted for a period of four months in Karachi, Pakistan.

Materials and Methods: Present cross–sectional study was performed by interviewing 234 dentists via a questionnaire based upon various questions regarding infection control. Sample were collected using convenience sampling, from private dental clinics in Karachi, Pakistan.

Setting: Questionnaire were sent to 400 general dentist in Karachi, out of which 234 replied.

Results: Mostly (69%) dentists who took part in the study were males. Regarding infection control, most of the individuals had a comprehensive understanding of infection control techniques. Isolation was considered to play a vital role in cross-infection prevention by 97.3% of the dentists. 93.2% used autoclave for sterilization and majority had thorough knowledge of the process involved. Regarding preventive measures, 66.7% of the dentists were vaccinated against major infectious agents in our society and 92.2% took protective measures required to prevent cross-infection.

Conclusion: Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding infection control of dentists in private clinic of Karachi, Pakistan are satisfactory.