Bringing Hepatitis Care Closer to the Dentists

Abstract

Introduction: Among the various cadres of health-care professionals, dentists are placed in a high-risk group of acquiring hepatitis B infection, as an occupational hazard. In a dental setting, hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission may occur directly (blood/saliva/nasopharyngeal secretions of infected patient and needlestick injury) or indirectly (through contaminated equipment). The risk of acquiring occupational HBV infection can be prevented by implicating certain policies such as vaccination, strict compliance with standard precautions, adherence to standard infection prevention and control protocols, and use of personal protective equipment and immediate postexposure prophylaxis in case of accidental exposure to infected blood or body fluids. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the risk of HBV infection in dental professionals based on their knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) and vaccination status score. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered, structured questionnaire with 26 including both open- and close-ended statements such as demography, department, duration of clinical exposure, KAP statements, and vaccination status. A minimum of 80% and 90% score is set to evaluate KAP response and vaccination status, respectively. Data were subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS version 26, an IBM tool. Results: The response rate was 100% (n = 92, male = 48, and female = 44). Among the participants, 78% scored >80% in KAP, the overall mean was 84.17 ± 6.08. Forty-eight percentage of participants scored >90% in vaccination status (overall mean: 79.45 ± 21.965). There was an overall good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha value > 0.8). In this study, 48% of the study population were found to be safe, whereas 52% are found at risk. Conclusion: The overall awareness regarding HBV was found to be at a fairly satisfactory level. Further, detailed research with a large study population aiming to determine both KAP and immunity status is required to determine the risk to dentists.