{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]],"date-time":"2026-06-01T13:27:05Z","timestamp":1780320425752,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":76,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,16]],"date-time":"2020-12-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1608076800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Oral. Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p><jats:bold>Background:<\/jats:bold> Cross-infection control is a dynamic field that requires frequent updates due to emerging diseases, advancement in technology, and scientific knowledge. Despite wide publication of guidelines, a laxity in compliance to the standard precautions for infection control by dental health-care personnel (DHCP) has been reported globally. Therefore, there is need to review previous shortcomings in order to adequately secure dental practices during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of the study was to determine knowledge and infection control practices by dentists in private practices. The study was done a few months before the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Kenya.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Materials and Methods:<\/jats:bold> The study design was a descriptive cross-sectional study that was carried out in selected private dental clinics located in Nairobi. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Convenience sampling method was utilized, while data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0.0.0.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Results:<\/jats:bold> A total of 71 private dentists participated in the study. Their mean age was 38 years with an age range of 27\u201355 years. Almost all (70, 98.6%) the dentists were able to define cross infection correctly. Majority (62, 87.3%) correctly differentiated between sterilization and disinfection, while 9 (12.7%) had difficulties. Most (68, 95.8%) of the respondents were aware of the standard precautions for cross-infection control. All participants used face masks and gloves. About half of them (38, 54%) practiced hand washing after removal of gloves and 31 (43.7%) before and after wearing of gloves, while 2 (2.8%) washed hands only before wearing gloves. Only 31 (42.3%) and 26 (36.6%) participants reported use of rubber dam isolation and impervious barrier, respectively. All the dentists reported disposal of sharps into especially labeled containers, while about half reported use of disposable suction traps and amalgam separators.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Conclusion:<\/jats:bold> The dentists had a good knowledge on various aspects of infection control measures that were studied. Use of basic personal protective equipment was widely practiced. There were irregularities in hand hygiene, use of rubber dam, surface barriers, and waste management. The work highlights that many dentists were unprepared to manage infectious risk during the COVID-19 outbreak, which justified the closure of the dental facilities. Development of strategies to promote adequate and safe practice is highly recommended.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/froh.2020.587603","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,10]],"date-time":"2021-01-10T13:42:35Z","timestamp":1610286155000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Infection Control Practices Among Private Practicing Dentists in Nairobi During the Pre-coronavirus Disease 2019 Period"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"1","author":[{"given":"Benedict Odhiambo","family":"Otieno","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eunice Njeri","family":"Kihara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bernard Nzioka","family":"Mua","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","unstructured":"Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID 2019), Dental Settings: Interim Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Dental Settings During the COVID-19 Response2020"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0178007","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0178007","article-title":"A scoping review on bio-aerosols in healthcare and the dental environment","volume":"12","author":"Zemouri","year":"2017","journal-title":"PLoS ONE."},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"729","DOI":"10.1016\/j.adaj.2016.03.020","article-title":"Transmission of blood-borne pathogens in US dental health care settings","volume":"147","author":"Cleveland","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Am Dent Assoc."},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.3402\/jom.v4i0.17659","article-title":"Healthcare-associated viral and bacterial infections in dentistry","volume":"4","author":"Laheij","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Oral Microbiol."},{"key":"B5","first-page":"119","article-title":"Occupational exposure to blood and body fluids among dental personnel in a Chinese dental hospital","volume":"16","author":"Xu","year":"2013","journal-title":"Chin J Dent Res."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"464","DOI":"10.14219\/jada.2013.52","article-title":"An epidemiologic investigation of occupational transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection to dental health care personnel: infection prevention and control implications","volume":"145","author":"Merte","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Am Dental Assoc 1939."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"727","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa2001017","article-title":"A Novel Coronavirus from Patients with Pneumonia in China, 2019","volume":"382","author":"Zhu","year":"2020","journal-title":"New Engl J Med."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"481","DOI":"10.1177\/0022034520914246","article-title":"Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): emerging and future challenges for dental and oral medicine","volume":"99","author":"Meng","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Dental Res."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1038\/s41368-020-0075-9","article-title":"Transmission routes of 2019-nCoV and controls in dental practice","volume":"12","author":"Peng","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Oral Sci."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S102","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajic.2016.06.003","article-title":"Airborne spread of infectious agents in the indoor environment","volume":"44","author":"Wei","year":"2016","journal-title":"Am J Infect Control."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"841","DOI":"10.1093\/cid\/ciaa149","article-title":"Consistent detection of 2019 novel coronavirus in saliva","volume":"71","author":"To","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clin Infect Dis."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"141","DOI":"10.1111\/omi.12289","article-title":"Saliva is a non-negligible factor in the spread of COVID-19","volume":"35","author":"Li","year":"2020","journal-title":"Mol Oral Microbiol"},{"key":"B13","unstructured":"guidelines for infection control in dental health-care settings\u2014 200352MMWR.2003"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"375","DOI":"10.1007\/s00103-005-1219-y","article-title":"Infektionspr\u00e4vention in der Zahnheilkunde \u2013 Anforderungen an die Hygiene. 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