Utilisation of personal protective equipment in dental practice

OBJECTIVE: To investigate personal protective equipment such as gloves, mask and protective eye wear used in dental practice in Turkey. DESIGN: An e-mail based self-report questionnaire was sent to dentists during 2002. PARTICIPANTS: Dentists in Turkey. RESULTS: 574 dentists aged 22-69 years responded. Thirty-six questionnaires were not included in the results. The results of the present study indicate that a high proportion of younger dentist respondents are using personal protective equipment in accordance with guidelines. More dentists use personal protective equipment for high-risk patients. The percentage of dentists using protective eyewear was low considering the general recommendations. CONCLUSION: The present study indicated that gloves and masks are used by a high proportion of the respondents. Further education may be appropriate in protective eyewear.