• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.332-339
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• 2012

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to prevent health problems and environmental contamination resulting from inappropriate management of dental wastes and to provide reference data for revision and supplementation of dental clinic waste management guidelines. Methods: From 640 total of dental clinics registered in 16 cities and counties in Gyeongsangnam-do, 100 (60 in Changwon (Masan, Changwon), 29 in Gimhae, and 11 in Jinju) were included in this study. From July 2010 to September 2010, investigators visited the 100 dental clinics and conducted survey interviews using a structured survey questionnaire regarding disposal methods for liquid wastes (suction pump, spittoon container waste, used liquid disinfectants, and X-ray developer), and disposal methods for solid waste (suction pump, spittoon container waste, and general medical waste). Results: All the 100 dental clinics were found to treat liquid waste from suction pumps and spittoon containers in the same manner as general waste water. Nineteen percent of the clinics treated solid waste that was not filtered through the filter of a suction pump as general waste. Fifty or more percent of the clinics treated solid waste in spittoon containers as general waste. Seventy percent of the clinics used disinfectant solution, although most of them treated used disinfectants in the same manner as general waste water. Some clinics treated used X-ray developer and X-ray fixer in the same manner as general waste water. In most of the clinics, used drapes were washed within the clinic. Conclusions: It was found that waste water and dental wastes at some dental clinics were treated in inappropriately. Thus, in conclusion, the development of guidelines regarding proper management of liquid and solid dental waste at dental clinics is required, and hygiene and environmental training for workers at dental clinics is necessary.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.37-48
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• 2006

Dental personnels faced risks of infection in the clinic. For infection control, recognition and practice of dental personnels are important factor. This study was performed to investigate the recognition and practice of dental hygiene for infection control and infection waste control. A stratified convenience sample of dental hygienists in dental health-care settings. The major finding of the present study are as follows: 1. The existence of education about Standard Precaution and low of infection waste storage was higher dental hospital than dental clinic. 2. The degree of practice in the storage of dental wastes was low in absorbent cotton and body tissue exclude damage waste. And the degree of practice in the disposal of dental wastes was high in all three. 3. Practice in the storage of dental waste was higher dental hospital than dental clinic. 4. At the conclusion of this investigation, systematic refresher training of infection control should be prepared by campaign an various media, Dental health care workers should be encouraged to practice those action items from training. For successful implementation of infection control in every dental health-care settings, it is highly demanded as well that development of effective safe-guard tools, stategic support, and standardized action items against infection problems.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.452-459
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• 2018

Objectives: We aimed to examine whether dental waste was being managed adequately at different types of dental institutions in City D in South Korea. Methods: The staff responsible for disinfection at 101 dental offices and clinics (six dentistry departments of general hospitals, 12 dental hospitals, and 83 dental clinics) was interviewed. Results: Solid suction pump waste was handled appropriately at four of the general hospital dentistry departments (66.7%), six dental hospitals (50.0%), and 15 dental clinics (18.1%). Solid spittoon waste was handled appropriately at four general hospital dentistry departments (66.7%), seven dental hospitals (58.3%), and 14 dental clinics (16.9%). Developer and fixer were handled appropriately by a subcontractor at two general hospital dentistry departments (100.0%), five dental hospitals (100.0%), and 24 dental clinics (75.0%). Impression materials were handled appropriately at four general hospital dentistry departments (66.7%), six dental hospitals (50.0%), and 11 dental clinics (13.3%). The plastic covers of intra-oral radiography films were handled appropriately at five general hospital dentistry departments (100.0%), eight dental hospitals (72.7%), and 22 dental clinics (30.1%). Conclusion: South Korea must implement detailed and specialized guidelines for the disposal of solid and general medical waste from dental institutions. Moreover, waste disposal training should be provided annually, and not only once every three years.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.73-83
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• 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to measure the knowledge of dental hygienists regarding dental waste, and identify the relationship between general characteristics and infection control characteristics. Methods: This study was conducted using a self-reported questionnaire in 250 dental hygienists. The questionnaire consisted of 21 items: storage container (5 items), storage locations (5 items), storage period (9 items), and storage method (3 items). The collected data were analyzed using the t-test and analysis of variance. Results: The education experience of infection management within the last year was reviewed for significant differences among dental hygienists regarding storage container and storage periods (p<0.05). Statistically significant differences were observed regarding the knowledge of storage container, storage locations, storage period, and storage method among the enrolled dental hygienists (p<0.05). Conclusions: This study examined the necessity of developing conservative education and job education programs to improve the knowledge level of dental hygienists regarding dental waste management.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral Health
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.175-180
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• 2018

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between oral health professionals' knowledge, attitude, and practice with regard to infectious waste management and to identify related factors influencing it. Methods: The study comprised of 219 oral health professionals from select dental clinics and public health centers recruited between August 25, 2016 and September 5, 2016, who agreed to participate in the study with full understanding of the study objectives. A self-reported questionnaire was administered, which consisted of 22 items on knowledge of infectious waste management, 9 items on attitude, and 16 items on practice. Data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression analyses. Results: The age, knowledge, and clinical attitude of oral health professionals significantly correlated with waste management practice. Specifically, infectious waste management practice improved with increasing age, a greater level of knowledge, and a more positive clinical attitude. Additionally, the standardized regression coefficient demonstrated that, of these three factors, clinical attitude more strongly correlated with effective waste management practice, followed by age and level of knowledge. Conclusions: These results indicated that oral health professionals had a low level of knowledge regarding infectious waste management, and a more positive clinical attitude resulted in better practices. Therefore, the development of detailed and active education guidelines and strategies are needed to enhance the attitude, knowledge, and practice of oral health professionals with regard to infectious waste management.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.55-62
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• 2018

Objectives: This study set out to measure the heavy metal concentrations in waste water produced in the casting pickling process at dental technical laboratories and examine the actual state of its treatment. Methods:The investigator measured the concentrations of each heavy metal at 55 dental technical laboratories using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission system. Results: The annual usage of electrolytes was under 10 L in 50 (90.9%), and was 10L or more in five (9.1%) laboratories. Among the laboratories, 15 (27.3%) commissioned the treatment of waste,12 (21.8%) treated the waste with general sewage,and 28 (50.9%) treated the waste in aseptic tank. The arithmetic $mean{\pm}standard$ deviation and the geometric mean of chrome(Cr) were $75.3{\pm}50.9$ and 58.3 mg/L; those of cobalt (Co) were $112.3{\pm}106.7$ and 66.1 mg/L; those of nickel (Ni) were $62.9{\pm}83.5$ and 8.9 mg/L; those of molybdenum (Mo) were $17.1{\pm}13.4$ and 12.0 mg/L; those of iron (Fe) were $31.5{\pm}44.1$ and 6.2 mg/L; those of lead (Pb) were $0.3{\pm}0.3$ and 0.3 mg/L; those of beryllium (Be) were $3.6{\pm}3.6$ and 2.0 mg/L. The hydrogen ion concentration was under pH 2 across all the samples. Conclusions: The findings show that the dental technical laboratories were not doing well with the separation, storage, collection, and treatment of the electrolytes they discarded, and that most of the electrolytes were introduced through the general sewage or aseptic tank. The causes of this include alack of perception among the practitioners at dental technical laboratories and contracted companies avoiding collection for economic reasons. There is a need for education to improve the perceptions of waste water treatment among the practitioners at dental technical laboratories. Environment-related departments should be stricter with legal applications in the central and local governments. It is also required to provide proper management of commissioned treatment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.409-416
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• 2015

This study is to examine the infection management cognition and to practice of dental hygienists about their general characteristics, type of workplace. 354 dental hygienists in Daegu and Kyungbuk cities. The questionnaire survey was performed from April to May, 2015. These showed that factors of dental infection management according to workplace depended existence and nonexistence that chief of station and program of infection management, education of infection control(p<.001). Also cognition of dental infection control according to workplace drawed the protection individual(p<.05), asepsis procedure(p<.01), control of dental equipment(p<.001), control of infectious waste(p<.01) and laundry(p<.001), to practice of dental infection control according to workplace drawed the protection individual and asepsis procedure(p<.001), methods of disinfected and sterilized(p<.05), control of dental equipment and laundry(p<.001), control of infectious waste(p<.05). As above results, in order to minimize the infection prevention in the dental clinic, the regular infection control education for infection control of dental hygienists required, infection control guidelines place at the dental office.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.105-113
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• 2002

This study was aimed to investigate the practice on the infection control and dental waste disposal in dental clinic. The data used in this study had been collected in 100 dental clinics located in Seoul city from August to October, 2001. It was shown that examination instruments, oral surgery instruments, and periodontal instruments were almost sterilization in dental clinic. It was high in the recognition of individual protection but it was low in the degree of practice. Therefore, the practice in infection control is very important to dental team for safety of patients and operators.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.299-307
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• 2018

This study survey research of infection control, wastewater management, and instrument disinfection according to characteristic at Daegu, Gyeongbuk Province In 2012 and 2017, the same 114 dental clinics to identify the infection management behavior and prevent infection of dental medical institutions. Scored mean 3.37 points on 8 items of infection control, 95.5% in "records of the patient's medical history", 1.8% in "presence of a wastewater facility." Scored 94.7% in "disinfection of metal trays", 17.5% in "storage from a spitting receptacle in the waste bin and commissioned management.", Scored higher in of infection control, wastewater management and instrument disinfection according to general characteristics and dental characteristics in 2017 than in 2012. Points were higher dental hygienist, University graduation, Type of duty was counseling and management, hospital or higher, Number of dentist(dental hygienist, chair, patient) was high. Therefore raise a need for infection control into consideration the dental characteristics and education and promotion regardless of the hospital size.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.1193-1202
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• 2012

Objectives : The purpose of our study was to examine the relationship of oral health status such as dental caries and the performance of dietary action guides with six items. Methods : Oral examination and self-administrated questionnaire were conducted on 87 disabled students, aged 6-19 who were attending special school in the area of the metropolitan Seoul. Two logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were used to investigate the association dental caries experience and the performance of dietary action guides after controlling for potential confounders. Results : The proportion of study subjects with caries were 37.9%, 26.9%(male) and 54.3%(female), respectively(p<0.05). There was significantly difference the subjects with caries and perceived oral health status(p<0.01). Among the dietary action guides items, skipping breakfast and not avoiding waste food were significantly higher in the proportion of subjects' caries(p<0.05, p<0.01, respectively). The avoiding waste food groups had more possibility of having caries significantly(p<0.05), even after controlling gender, and perceived oral health status. Conclusions : These results indicate that oral health promotion policy with dietary action guides should be strengthened for support of disabled student's dental health.