Background Infections can spread within the dental clinic through many routes. Interrupting this transmission of infection within the dental office is an important part of the dental practice. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding precautions against droplet and airborne infections among dental students in South India. Methodology A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 236 undergraduate dental students in Chennai. The questionnaire consisted of 11 questions in three categories of knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding airborne and droplet isolation precautions. The collected data were compiled and analyzed using SPSS version 13 software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results The frequency scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding droplet and airborne isolation precautions showed that dental students were very much aware of the precautions and the guidelines. The mean scores for knowledge, attitude, and practice were 7.70 ± 2.48, 37.22 ± 6.98, and 7.1 ± 1.64, respectively. There were no significant differences among subgroups (third-year students, fourth-year students, and interns) regarding knowledge, attitude, and practice. A positive linear correlation was observed between knowledge and attitude, knowledge and practice, and attitude and practice (p < 0.05). Conclusions According to the results of this study, dental students had adequate knowledge, positive attitudes, and compliance. Training programs on isolation precautions are needed to sustain and update the knowledge according to the changing trends in infectious diseases.
Keywords: airborne; dental students; droplet; infection control; south india; universal precautions.
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