Knowledge and performance of dental students with regard to infection control guidelines in Dental School of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in 2015

Dentists are at risk of infectious diseases and dental offices can serve as a source of infection transmission if the infection control guidelines are not properly implemented. Adherence to infection control principles can help prevent disease transmission. This study sought to assess the level of knowledge and performance of dental students with regard to infection control principles in dental clinics of School of Dentistry, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. This study was conducted on 87 dental students. Data were collected using a 9-question questionnaire and a 16-item checklist. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 and descriptive statistics by calculation of mean and standard deviation (SD), t-test, Chi square test, Kruskal Wallis test and the Spearman's correlation coefficient. Level of significance was set at P=0.05. Of subjects, 100% were wearing sterile gloves and changed them for each patient, collected and disposed wastes after examination or treatment of each patient, capped the needle after anesthetic injection and changed the dental suction tip; 94% were wearing a mask and changed it for each patient; 89% were wearing clean white coats. The level of knowledge of students was found to be moderate. Also, the performance of students with regard to infection control principles was found to be very good probably due to the rules and regulations set by the dental school departments.