Title
Infection control practices in Indian dental clinics: A cross-sectional study
Authors
Braj Bhushan Mall1,*, Waikhom Robindro Singh1, Shamurailatpam Priyadarsini2, Thingujam Debica3, Bankim Ningthoujam4, Haripriya Nongthombam5 & D.P. Ramizan6
Affiliation
1Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Dental College, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal 795004, Manipur, India; 2Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Dental College, RIMS, Imphal, Manipur, India; 3Department of Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge, Dental College, RIMS, Imphal, Manipur, India; 4Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Dental College, RIMS, Imphal, Manipur, India; 5Department of Orthodontics, Dental College, RIMS, Imphal, Manipur, India; 6Consulting Physician, Private Practice, Imphal, Manipur, India; *Corresponding author
Braj Bhushan Mall - E-mail: Brajomfs@gmail.com; Phone: +91 9415086516
W. Robindro Singh - E-mail: waikhomrob@yahoo.in; Phone: +91 9366247735
Shamurailatpam Priyadarsini - E-mail: dr26priya@gmail.com; Phone: +91 9402019588
Thingujam Debica - E-mail: Debicath44@gmail.com; Phone: +91 6909695221
Bankim Ningthoujam - E-mail: dr.bankim2011@gmail.com; Phone: +91 9862875029
Haripriya Nongthombam - E-mail: drharipriyanongthombam@gmail.com; Phone: +91 9755045232 D.P. Ramizan - E-mail: dpabemrose@gmail.com; Phone: +91 8414981792
Article Type
Research Article
Date
Received April 1, 2026; Revised April 30, 2026; Accepted April 30, 2026, Published April 30, 2026
Abstract
Inadequate infection control in dental clinics increases occupational and patient risk of blood-borne and aerosol-transmitted infections. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate infection control awareness and practices among 70 private dental clinics in India using a standardized questionnaire based on CDC guidelines. Overall adherence was moderate, with significant gaps in aerosol management, post-exposure protocols, sterilization practices and vaccination awareness. MDS-qualified practitioners demonstrated significantly higher compliance than BDS practitioners across multiple domains (p<0.05). Thus, we show the need for structured continuing education, stricter protocol enforcement and standardized infection control monitoring in private dental settings.
Keywords
Infection control, dental clinics, disease transmission
Citation
Mall et al. Bioinformation 22(4): 2049-2053 (2026)
Edited by
A Prashanth
ISSN
0973-2063
Publisher
License
This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. This is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
