Research Article
Cristina I. Nuca, Corneliu I.
Abstract
To evaluate the current working practices in preventive dentistry of dentists from six Romanian districts: Constanta, Braila, Galati, Tulcea, Buzau and Vrancea (the South-East Romanian Development Region). Methods: The study was performed using a representative sample of 292 dentists (95% C.L., 5.16% sampling error); the assessment tool was a questionnaire with 42 questions, 12 of which assessed current practices in prevention. The responses to these 12 questions are reported in this paper. Results: Two hundred and seventy-three (94%) of the respondents considered that universities should offer more lectures on prevention, 207 (71%) reported that they applied topical fluorides, 260 (89%) provided instruction in oral hygiene, 220 (75%) provided fissure sealing, 83 (28%) provided sealant restorations and 278 (95%) scaled teeth. Two hundred and fifty-five (87%) dentists stated that they believed they could influence the patient’s caries risk, 252 (86%) recommended individualised tooth-brushing techniques, 54 (18%) responded that they were not influenced in clinical decision making by the concern for infection transmission from a possibly infected patient, 239 (82%) claimed that they are tested annually for the major blood-borne diseases, 204 (70%) said they used dry-heat sterilisation and 194 (66%) that they used wet-heat sterilisation, and 258 (88%) considered that they should wear complete personal protective items (gloves, mask, etc.) when treating all patients. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated the need to increase the awareness and skills of dentists from the South-East Development Region of Romania regarding the prevention of oral diseases, especially in terms of cross-infection control in dentistry, in order to meet European Union standards and to ensure health and safety at work in dentistry.