Assessment of dental clinics' infection control function using a checklist during the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION

The heightened risk of COVID-19 transmission during dental procedures has been a major concern in dentistry. To curb the spread of the virus, breaking the chain of transmission is paramount. This study aimed to assess infection control function in dental clinics using a supervisory checklist developed specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHOD

In April 2020, Alborz University of Medical Sciences introduced a 46-item checklist to guide infection control. Regular inspections of clinics began in June 2020 and continued every 6 months. Inspectors, accompanied by either the clinic manager or the infection control team, completed the checklist to evaluate protocol adherence. This retrospective cross-sectional study presents findings from the initial round of inspections.

RESULTS

Clinics were categorized as adherent or non-adherent based on achieving at least 50% of the total checklist score. Of the 76 clinics evaluated, 66 (86.8%) met the adherence criteria. The highest compliance was observed in question 12 (separation of employee and patient restrooms), with 81.6% adherence. The lowest compliance was in question 31 (use of disposable waterproof shoe covers), with only 26.3% adherence.

CONCLUSION

Over 80% of dental clinics demonstrated satisfactory adherence to COVID-19 infection control protocols. However, to further mitigate the spread of COVID-19, particularly its more contagious variants, enhancing compliance across all infection control measures remains essential.