Assessment of Knowledge in Adherence to Infection Control During Radiographic Procedures Among Dental Students and Dental Practitioners

Rajesh, Prasanth; Gokulraj , Sabitha; Appusamy, Kumar; Subhalakshmi, Venkataraman

doi:10.15517/eg35ef88

Authors

Prasanth Rajesh Vinayaka Mission’s Sankarachariyar Dental College,Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation (Deemed to be University), Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. Author https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4687-6759
Sabitha Gokulraj Associate Professor, Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology,Vinayaka Mission’s Sankarachariyar Dental College, Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation (Deemed to be University), Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5839-1233
Kumar Appusamy Assistant Professor, Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Vinayaka Mission’s Sankarachariyar Dental College, Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation (Deemed to be University), Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1977-9125
Venkataraman Subhalakshmi Research Associate, Central Research Laboratory, Vinayaka Mission’s Sankarachariyar Dental College, Vinayaka Mission’s Research Foundation (Deemed to be University), Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. Author https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4264-1063

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15517/eg35ef88

Keywords:

Infection control; Oral radiology; Dental students; Dentists; Hand hygiene; Personal protective equipment; Sterilization.

Abstract

Infection control in oral radiology is essential for preventing cross-contamination, but compliance differs among dental professionals. This study assessed knowledge and adherence to infection-control measures during radiographic procedures among dental students and practitioners. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 392 participants (students and practitioners). The validated tool covered domains of hand hygiene, personal protective equipment (PPE), protective over gloves, sterilization, and use of plastic barriers. Descriptive statistics summarized practices. Pearsons χ² tested between-group differences, and binary logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of adherence. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Only 39.0% of participants demonstrated adequate adherence (≥70% of practices followed). Adequacy was slightly higher among students (39.8%) than among practitioners (36.6%). Logistic regression showed that students had significantly higher odds of PPE use (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.40-2.11), sterilization of devices (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.32-1.98), and plastic barrier use (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.34-2.02). No significant differences were found between hand hygiene and over-glove use. Both students and practitioners demonstrated only moderate adherence to infection-control practices in radiology, with notable gaps in pre-glove hand hygiene and protective over-glove use. To strengthen consistent infection-control measures, targeted training for practitioners and curriculum reinforcement for students are recommended.

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