Italian multicenter study on infection hazards during dental practice: control of environmental microbial contamination in public dental surgeries.

BACKGROUND

The present study assessed microbial contamination in Italian dental surgeries.

METHODS

An evaluation of water, air and surface microbial contamination in 102 dental units was carried out in eight Italian cities.

RESULTS

The findings showed water microbial contamination in all the dental surgeries; the proportion of water samples with microbial levels above those recommended decreased during working. With regard to Legionella spp., the proportion of positive samples was 33.3%. During work activity, the index of microbial air contamination (IMA) increased. The level of microbial accumulation on examined surfaces did not change over time.

CONCLUSION

These findings confirm that some Italian dental surgeries show high biocontamination, as in other European Countries, which highlights the risk of occupational exposure and the need to apply effective measures to reduce microbial loads.