Behaviour and perception of hand hygiene practice among dental students - A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Hand hygiene is the act of cleaning one’s hands to remove oil, grease, microorganisms (or) other unwanted substances. Hand hygiene is considered as a primary practice which is used to reduce the risk and spread of infections to some extent. Washing hands with soap and water are considered the best way to remove germs. It helps in preventing diarrhea and uncomfortable intestinal diseases and reduces bacterial content on our hands. Health care professionals use alcohol-based hand disinfectant to prevent healthcare-associated infections and transmission of pathogens. Another widely used standard precautionary measure is wearing protective gloves. The main aim of this study is to assess the knowledge of hand hygiene practice of dental students. The present study is a cross-sectional study conducted among 100 dental students. The questionnaire consisted of 15 questions which were circulated among dental students through an online survey link. The questions were read carefully, and the answers were marked accordingly. The data was then collected and statistically analyzed. 93% of the participants think that hand hygiene is really necessary for day to day life. 88% of the participants think that maintaining proper hand hygiene helps us to be free from infections. The present-day dental students have very good knowledge about hand hygiene practice.