Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development
  • Year: 2019
  • Volume: 10
  • Issue: 10

Comparative Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Apron with Mandarin Collar and Open Collar in Prevention of Microbial Contamination on Street Clothing

  • Author:
  • Yashaswini Shetty1, Ashwini Hegde2, N Srikant3, Ashwin Rao4, Y M Karuna5,, P Anupama Nayak5
  • Total Page Count: 5
  • Page Number: 591 to 595

1Former Lecturer, Department of Paedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Mangalore

2Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore

3Professor and Head, Department of Oral Pathology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal

4Associate Professor, Department of Paedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal

5Assistant Professor, Department of Paedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal

*Corresponding Author: Dr. Karuna YM, Assistant Professor, Department of Paedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal. Email: karuna.ym@manipal.edu, Contact No: 9964116229

Online published on 23 December, 2019.

Abstract

To comparatively evaluate the protecting efficiency of mandarin collar aprons as against the open collar aprons.

Cross-sectional randomized comparative study

Ten post graduate students were given a verbal written set of instructions to be followed during the study. Each study participant was made to wear an open collar and a mandarin collar aprons separately on two different days. The microbial samples were collected using a sterile swab from the chest area of the street clothing at the beginning of the day at dental clinic (Pre patient care) and at the end of the day at dental clinic (Post patient care). The obtained samples were microbiologically analyzed and the difference in the colony count between the two types of aprons were compared.

Significantly more number of gram positive cocci were seen in open collar apron group, when the difference between the pre work and post work colony counts were compared (p=0.031).

Mandarin collar aprons offer significantly better protection of the street clothing of the dental health care providers than the closed collar aprons against the colonization of gram positive cocci.

Keywords

White coat, protection, efficiency, dentists