Effect of medical education on the knowledge, attitude and compliance regarding infection control measures among dental students in Makkah

Background: Infectious diseases are the major causes of morbidity and mortality related to clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Dentists should apply the guidelines for infection control during practice to prevent cross infection. This study aimed to assess the effect of medical education on the knowledge, attitudes and compliance among dental students regarding infection control measures at the dental teaching hospital faculty, Umm Al-Qura University (UQU), Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study was performed to assess the knowledge, attitude and compliance towards infection control using a structured questionnaire. All students attending dental clinics in the 4th, 5th and 6th grades (n = 186), 94 males and 92 females participated in this study. Results: Most dental undergraduate students have a knowledge of infection control in dental clinics including sterilization (83%), personal protective equipment (87.1%), proper hand hygiene (86.3%), vaccination (97.9%) and safe disposal of clinical waste (83.9%). More than 90% of UQU dental students were tested for Hepatitis B virus (HBV), performed wrap and disinfection of the dental unit before treating patients and wore personal protective equipment (PPE). The 6th grade dental students have superior knowledge compared to 4th and 5th grade dental students. The attitude and compliance to infection control guidelines within each grade were comparable. However, a between grade comparison showed that the 4th grade students had a better attitude and compliance.