| Abstract [eng] |
The oral flora is one of the most ecologically diverse microbial populiations known to man. It has been proved that any dental intervention: dental preparation, professional oral hygiene, extraction of teeth, regular prophylactic examination of patient‘s mouth is related with a possible spread of infection. Therefore, one of the most important tasks for the dental care professionals is to prevent the spread of infection and create safe environment for a patient, the dentist himself and other dental staff The aim of the present study is to identify and evaluate the attitudes of Lithuanian dental health care professionals towards infection control and carried out infection control procedures, and to determine vaccination frequency against hepatitis B among dental health care professionals. The study highlighteningt the dental health care professionals‘ attitude towards infection control and infection control procedures as well as incompliance of infection control procedures with the valid normative documentation was conducted at the Institute of Odontology, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University in 2008-2010. All 2,235 Lithuanian dentists, registered in the Lithuanian Dental Chamber Registry in 2008 and carrying general practice dentist‘s license, all 1,814 dental assistants and all 370 dental hygienists registered in 2010 (according to the database of the Lithuanian Dental Chamber Registry) were invited to take part in the investigation. The participants of the study survey were sent anonymous questionnaires The attitude of dental health care professionals towards infection control and carried out procedures frequently differed among those working in private and public health care institutions, major Lithuanian cities and other regions, and those with different duration of their professional activity. Appropriate procedures and correct attitude towards infection control were pointed out more frequently by those dental health care professionals who work in major Lithuanian cities, private health care institutions and with shorter duration of their professional activity. Most infection control procedures (hand hygiene, the use of personal protection equipment, change of disposable protective equipment (face masks and gloves), vaccination against hepatitis B, dental setting surface desinfection, handpieces sterilization) in dental health care institutions does not comply with the requirements set in the standard documentation. Few Lithuanian dental health care professionals are vaccinated against hepatitis B virus (35.9% of dentists, 25.0% of dental assistants, 42.3% of dental hygienists). Based on the findings of the investigation, the practical recommendations were presented. |
