Knowledge, attitude, and practice of hand hygiene among dentists practicing in Bangalore city – A cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND: Hand hygiene in dental practice is one of the most important parts of the infection control process to reduce the risk of transmitting microorganisms from provider to patient. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hand Hygiene (HH) guidelines were published more than 5 years ago. The extent to which dental practitioners are aware of it and the extent to which alcohol-based hand sanitizers are used by dental practitioners are unknown. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to assess the practice of HH among dentists in Bangalore city. The objectives of the study were to assess knowledge and attitudes among dentists with regard to HH in Bangalore city. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 204 dentists from the registry of dental care facility, Bangalore, were selected for this study. The data were collected by administering a specially designed proforma. RESULTS: 51% of the dental practitioners use soap and water for HH frequently and 44.6% use alcohol-based hand sanitizers for HH frequently. Also, 53.4% were aware of the CDC HH guideline. One-third of the dental practitioners indicated that they have limited/moderate knowledge of the CDC HH guideline. CONCLUSION: Most dental practitioners use soap and water for HH frequently, and a smaller number of dental practitioners use alcohol-based hand sanitizers for HH frequently. The knowledge of the CDC HH guidelines needs to be improved.