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hygiene tribuneDental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | July-August 2015 1B > Page 2B Higher caregiver education level linked to fewer cavities in children Infection control in dentistry has never been more essential ByDentalTribuneInternational C LEVELAND & SEAT- TLE, USA: A recently published study has found that the prevalence of caries is lower in children of caregivers with a higher level of education. Individuals with low literacy often have poorer health knowledge and status compared with those with higher levels. As children de- pend on their caregivers for access to and instruction on oral care, low adult literacy can negatively affect boys’ and girls’ dental health. In order to determine whether caregiver education level af- ByDr.SafuraBaharin,Malaysia D emand for dental treat- ment has been increas- ing in recent years as people have become more aware of their oral health and the benefits of good dental aes- thetics. Maintaining and prac- tising stringent cross-infection control procedures therefore have never been more essential to ensure the health and safety of dentists, dental hygienists and assistants, as well as other supporting staff who may be indirectly involved in the treat- ment process. Dental professionals are at fects untreated dental caries in children, the researchers looked at the frequency of den- tal visits, use of routine care, and frequency of toothbrushing for both the caregiver and the child in 423 African-American children of kindergarten age from low-income families and their caregivers. They observed that caregiv- ers who completed high school visited the dentist 1.76 times more often than did those who did not complete high school. In turn, children whose care- givers had a high school edu- cation were 5.78 times more likely to visit the dentist. More- over, children who visited the dentist more often had 26 per- high risk of cross-infection. A report published in 1999 has shown that in developing coun- tries, for example, the number of dental staff contaminated during treatment is increasing by almost 6 per cent each year. [1] Research has shown that in- fectious micro-organisms can be transmitted by blood or sa- liva via direct or indirect con- tact, aerosols, or contaminated instruments and equipment.[2] As stated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in their 2003 guidelines, the transmission of infectious disease can occur in four ways: direct contact with blood or body fluids, indirect contact cent fewer untreated decayed teeth compared with children who did not have routine vis- its. In addition, children with higher-educated caregivers had 34 percent fewer untreated decayed teeth and 28 percent fewer decayed or filled teeth, the researchers reported. The study, titled “Caregiver’s Education Level and Child’s Dental Caries in African Amer- icans: A Path Analytic Study,” was published in the March issue of the Caries Research journal. It was conducted by researchers at Case Western Reserve University in collabo- ration with the University of Washington. with contaminated objects or surfaces, contact with bacte- rial droplets or aerosols, and inhalation of airborne micro- organisms.[3] The most likely mode of trans- mission in dentistry is through inhalation of bacterial aerosols or splatters. Their potential health hazards are well docu- mented and acknowledged. [4–9] Both can be host to a large variety of micro-organisms and viruses, which can be in- fectious to susceptible indi- viduals. During treatment, the dentist’s face and patient’s chest are most affected by splatter, as the majority of the splatters are Children need to be instructed on proper brushing techniques. (Photograph: Google) Using personal protective equipment such as surgical masks, safety glasses as well as disposable gowns and gloves is vital. (Photo stan- prokop.podbean.com-) radiated towards them.[10, 11] According to studies, the most contaminated area on the den- tist’s face during treatment is around the nose and inner cor- ner of the eyes.[11] Splatter consists of large par- ticles of greater than 100 µm generated during the use of dental equipment, such as tur- bines, ultrasonic scalers, or wa- ter and air syringes. Owing to this, splatter tends to travel in a trajectory, thereby contact- ing objects in its path. Aerosol consists of smaller particles