Infections Disease in the Dental Clinical Nigerian Dentists\' Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Treatment of Patients

Abstract

The dental clinic is a potential source of transmission of infectious disease due to the invasive nature of many dental procedures. Infectious disease therefore constitutes serious occupational hazards to all oral health care workers.
This descriptive study aims to assess the knowledge of dentists on common transmissible infections in the dental clinical and their attitudes towards the treatment of infectious patients.
Methods: Questionnaire survey 146 dentists practicing in thirteen government hospital in Lagos State.
Result: 34 (23.3%) had a good knowledge of infectious disease which 72(49.3%) and 40 (27.4%) had fair and poor knowledge respectively. Male dentists were more willing to treat infectious patients than female dentists. Female dentists were significantly unwilling to treat HIV (p=0.01) and tuberculosis (p=0.0018). Female and younger dentists also significantly gave a poorer rating of infection control in their hospitals (p=0.006 and 0.0009) respectively.


NQJHM Vol. 13 (3-4) 2003: pp. 20-23