• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.282-293
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine the degree of infection control implemented at dental offices and factors affecting it in an attempt to help promote the health of dental health care workers. The subjects in this study were 180 medical personnels who worked at dental offices in the region of South Jeolla Province. A self-administered survey was conducted from April 1 to May 30, 2008, and the collected data were analyzed. The findings of the study were as follows: 1. As for the implementation of infection control at the dental offices, what the health care workers investigated did the most was post-treatment hand washing(95.0), a constant separation of infectious wastes(94.4), wearing rubber gloves all the time during medical instrument cleansing(92.8) and pre-treatment hand washing(91.7). 2. In regard to the implementation of infection control at the dental offices, what the dental personnels did the least was drying their hands with air(5.0), wearing goggles in times of treatment(23.3), receiving regular education on infection control(26.7) and putting sterilizers to a performance test on a regular basis(43.9). 3. The dental health care workers were significantly different according to age in the management of contagious diseases(p=0.005). Their career made a significant difference to the management of contagious diseases(p=0.000) and instrument cleansing/sterilization(p=0.043). The service area made a significant difference to wearing and managing personal protective clothes (p=0.040) and waste management(p=0.040). 4. Concerning the relationship between the acquisition of dental hygienist certificate and the practice of infection control, whether the dental health care workers were certified or not made no significant difference to that. 5. As to the correlation among the factors affecting the prevention and management of contagious diseases, there was a positive correlation among hand washing(r=0.379), wearing and managing personal protective clothes(r=0.349), instrument cleansing/sterilization(r=0.323) and waste management(r=0.388). All the factors made a statistically significant difference to the prevention and management of contagious diseases(p<0.01).

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.295-302
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• 2013

The aim of this study was to make the infection control strictly from the school and to apply the infection control practice in dental clinic. It is asis on surveying the awareness attitude practice for the infection control when practicing the scaling to target the students in dental hygienics, preliminary dental hygienists who will ecome the main agents of the infection control in dental clinic and y diagnosing how much the knowledge and practice for the infection control are kept in a school. As a result of the present status on the current infection prevention, 55.0% of the total didn't perform it and 45.0% performed in case of the vaccination of type infection, and 88.6% asked a patient about the condition of the systemic disease when practicing the scaling, and as a result on the education for the infection prevention, most of the preventive aspect was also performed well ecause 91.6% was performing.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.169-178
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• 2011

Objectives : This study was conducted to investigate the actual state of dental hygienist's behavior for infection control during dental practice and radiologic examination and to evaluate the dental hygienist's awareness of the importance of infection control in dental office. Methods : A survey on 218 dental hygienists was carried out. The respondents to complete a questionnaire were the dental hygienists who were in dental office on Gwang-ju area or attended complementary training conducted by the Seoul Branch of Korean Dental Hygienists Association in April 2010. The data were collected and analyzed with $x^2$ test, t-test, ANOVA using SPSS program. Results : The ratios of educational experience for infection control in dental practice and radiologic examination room accounted for 87.6% and 30.3% respectively. Behavior degree of mask-wearing in the dental practice and radiologic examination room were $4.60{\pm}0.70$ and $3.77{\pm}1.09$ respectively. Behavior degree of glove-wearing in the dental practice and radiologic examination room were $4.40{\pm}0.91$ and $3.68{\pm}1.17$ respectively. In case of the relation between educational experience and behavior degree in mask-wearing or glove-wearing, there was no significant difference in the performance of mask or glove wearing during dental practice, and mask-wearing during radiologic examination. However, there was a significant difference (p<0.05) in the performance of glove-wearing during radiologic examination, which revealed that behavior degree between the respondents having educational experience and the others no having it were $3.92{\pm}1.19$ and $3.58{\pm}1.14$ respectively. The surface disinfection control for radiation and protective equipments used in radiologic examination room was done by occasional needs without premeditated schedules. Conclusions : The result of this study shows lower behavior degree during radiologic examination compared with one during dental practice. We suggest that there are needs to raise the awareness of infection control and to improve infection control behavior, and through this study, the importance of education was verified.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.221-225
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• 2005

In this study, survey is conducted to make aware of importance which personal protection was accomplished at the dentistry. It investigated the performance of infection control and X-ray safety management to the third grade of D-Health College. 1. The infection control is recognized to high level and practiced certainly at actual training of oral prophylaxis. 2. The infection control is recognized to low level relatively at actual training of radiography. 3. The infection control is not practiced at actual training of radiography except for the film holder. 4. The X-ray safety management is recognized to high level and conducted certainly at actual training of radiography. To consider the above result, the infection control is not nearly practiced at radiography. In accordance with, the education must be demanded that the infection control is practiced throughly at radiography for raising a necessary against the recognization and practice of the infection control.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.263-269
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• 2007

To investigate the actual conditions management of infectious prevention in dental office, questionnaire about infection control and education of infection control was performed on 50 dentists, 176 dental hygienists, 100 aide nurses who are working in Deagu City from march to April, 2007. The results are as the following. Dentists are the highest on the health inspection's ratio, dental hygienists are the highest on vaccination's ratio. Experience ratio about education of infection control is the highest on dentist and the lowest on aide nurses(p < 0.05). Dental hygienists are higher than dentists and aide nurses on ratio of wearing protective gear(p < 0.05). Dentists have the highest ratio on washing hands after treat(p < 0.05). Practice of instrument's sterilization is higher in dental hygienist than other groups. Disinfection of equipment's surface practice mainly on bracket table, dental hygienist's ratio is the highest among the three groups.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.183-193
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• 2013

The characteristics of dental treatment makes the dental staff frequently contact with patient directly. Also the daily use of high-handpieces, sharp instruments, and needles often causes bleeding on oral cavity. Therefore, the risk of cross transmission grows up. The pathogen from dental practice could spread on not only the practice itself but also the dental laboratory with contaminated impressions and prosthesis. Dental clinic staffs (dentists, dental hygienists and dental technicians) should recognize all the patients have a possibility of cross contamination, and try to prevent the transmission of infection by proper infection control. In this study, we review the articles about disinfection methods and chemical infection agents used for dental impressions, and try to figure out the suitable and effective infection control system of dental impressions.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.213-230
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine the state of infection control provided to members of Korean Dental Hygienists Association. The subjects in this study were dental hygienists who attended a symposium on July 1. 2006. after a survey was conducted, the answer sheets from 489 participants were analyzed, and the findings of the study were as follows: 1. Possession of disinfection room was being(72.7%), and person of infection control was zero(52.9%). Number of sterilizer was one(62.2%). 2. As a repetition choice, type of sterilizer was autoclave(97.9%), UV sterilizer(67.4%) and EO gas sterilizer(21.4%). As a repetition choice, infection materials was ethanol(84.1%). 3. Water tube of unit and chair was using of sterilized water(42.9%). Sterilizing of compressed air was no(69.0%). 4. Re-using of disposal was not using(62.5%), re-using disposal was suction tip(28.2%)(repetition choice) 5. In sterilization of instruments, hand-piece was every using time(28.4%), and reamer-file, bur, mirror, pincette, explorer, hand scaler and ultrasonic scaler were high in every using time. 6. Individual protection was high of using, cleaning of hands before treatment was every treatment(87.0%). Type of soap was liquid type in dental clinic(48.2%), infection soap in dental hospital(41.2%) and solid soap in public health center(50.6%). Answered that they need regular oral health education, and 82.9% respondents answered that they need oral health technicians in school. And 87.8% respondents needed individual oral health education for the benefit of better oral health.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.831-838
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to investigate the perception and practice of the infection control by empowerment in the dental hygienists. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was filled out by 200 dental hygienists in Gyeongbuk from January 3 to February 20, 2013. Data were analyzed by SPSS 12.0 program. The instrument of impowerment was adapted from Spreitzer and consisted of 12 questions including meaning(4 questions), competency(4 questions), self-decision(4 questions), and impact(4 questions). Impowerment was score by Likert 5 scale and higher score means higher impowerment. The instrument for hand washing recognition and practice was adapted from Kim and consisted of hand washing(5 questions), personal protective clothing management(5 questions), contaminated appliance management(3 questions), sterilization(3 questions), and infection control environment(8 questions). The empowerment instrument was score by Likert 5 scale and the mean was 3.83 points. Based on 3.83, infection control recognition and practice were divided into upper group and lower group. Cronbach alpha was 0.951 in empowerment, 0.931 in recognition, and 0.924 in practice in the study. Results: Based on the average points of 3.83, the groups were divided into two groups including upper group and lower group. The upper group showed higher score in hand washing than the lower group. In the protective clothing management, the upper group changed the mask at one-hour interval(p<0.001). Conclusions: In the viewpoint of empowerment, it had a significant influence on the perception and practice of the dental infection control in the dental hygienists.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.459-464
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• 2010

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to minimize cross infection that can take place within dental office, to make dental workers recognize importance of infection management, and to improve dental-care environment that is exposed to infection. Methods : It conducted the self-reported questionnaire survey on the practice of wearing PPE(personal protective equipment) from April 1, 2008 to May 30 targeting 180 dental workers who are working for dental offices where are located in Jeonnam region. Results : 1. As for research subjects' general characteristics, age was the largest in under 29 years old with 75.0%. It was surveyed to be large in over 5 years(56.1%) for working career, in a city(83.3%) for working region, and in having licence of dental hygienist(75.0%). 2. As a result of surveying the practice of wearing PPE, wearing mask given dental care was surveyed to have the highest practice level with 75.6%. Wearing protective glasses showed the lowest practice ratio with 23.3%. 3. As a result of surveying the difference in the practice of wearing PPE according to general characteristics, the difference according to the working region was surveyed to be the greatest. Conclusions : As the above result, the education of infection management for dental workers needs to be performed continuously even after curriculum of school. Even the in-service education on infection management needs to be vitalized. Also, the necessity was examined for always recognizing and practicing importance of infection by using a method of publishing newsletter via post to dental clinics where are located in rural area, with considering regional deviation.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.365-373
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• 2023

Purpose: In the context of COVID-19, studies evaluating the adherence of dentists and dental students to infection control are relevant due to their high occupational exposure and risk, as well as their responsibility for disseminating information and good practices. This study evaluated the adherence of dentists and dental students to infection control in the oral radiology field in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic on different continents. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study involved individuals who performed intraoral radiographic examinations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Questionnaire on Infection Control in Oral Radiology was administered virtually using a Google Form. Participants from different continents(the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania) were recruited. Data were subjected to descriptive analysis and simple and multiple binary regression (5%). Results: There were 582 valid answers, and 68.73% of the participants were from the Americas, 18.90% from Europe, and 12.37% from Asia. The median score for infection control protocols was 94 points for dental students and 104 points for dentists, and participants below the median were considered to have low adherence to infection control in oral radiology. Low access to infection control was found for 53.0% of dentists in the Americas, 34.0% from Europe, and 26.9% from Asia. Conclusion: The adherence to infection control protocols in oral radiology was low even in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results may help improve the awareness of students and professionals, since oral radiology routines have the potential for transmitting COVID-19.