ABSTRACT

Management of dental wastes became a recent challenge facing health care practitioners and is one of the highly-sensitive environmental problems. The main purpose of this study was to assess oral health care provider’s knowledge and behavior about dental waste management and evaluate their behavior toward it. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 314 dental health care providers working in four dental colleges, and 20 private dental clinics in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A pretested questionnaire composed of close-ended questions was used. The mean age of the participants was 27 years. About 78% of the participants reported that they were working in the public sector. Only 33.4% of the study sample received professional training on waste management. The mean behavior and knowledge scores were 3.7 ± 1.3 (out of 6) and 1.4 ± 1.3 (out of 8), respectively. Statistically significant association was noted between gender and knowledge scores but not between gender and behavior scores. On the other hand, statistically significant associations were noted between both knowledge and behavior scores and rank of the participant, type of practice, and years of experience. Oral health care providers’ knowledge about the effective procedure that should be followed for segregating, collecting, transporting, and treating dental waste was weak and substandard. There is an urgent need to develop policies and regulations for dental waste management in Saudi Arabia.

Implications: This study shed light for the first time on the knowledge and behavior of dentists in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in regard to the dental waste management. Participants knowledge and behavior in regard to dental waste segregation, collection, transportation, and treatment were determined to be week and substandard. Currently, different procedures related to dental waste management in health care facilities are not clearly described. The urgent need for the development of policies and regulations for the dental waste management is obvious. This study can be a starting point for future nation-wide surveys to assess knowledge, behavior and practices related to dental waste management among oral health care providers. In addition, more efforts should be directed to incorporate this subject into dental curriculum and continuous education courses.

摘要

牙科废物的管理已成为卫生保健从业者面临的近期挑战，并且是高度敏感的环境问题之一。这项研究的主要目的是评估口腔保健提供者对牙科废物管理的知识和行为，并评估他们对此的行为。在沙特阿拉伯吉达的四家牙科学院和20家私人牙科诊所工作的314名牙科保健提供者进行了横截面描述性研究。使用由封闭式问题组成的预先测试的问卷。参与者的平均年龄为27岁。大约78％的参与者报告说他们在公共部门工作。只有33.4％的研究样本接受了废物管理方面的专业培训。平均行为和知识得分为3.7±1.3（满分为6）和1.4±1.3（满分为8），分别。性别和知识得分之间存在统计学上的显着关联，但性别和行为得分之间没有统计学意义。另一方面，在知识和行为得分与参与者的等级，实践类型和经验年限之间都注意到了统计学上显着的关联。口腔卫生保健提供者对隔离，收集，运输和处理牙科废物应遵循的有效程序的知识薄弱且不合标准。迫切需要为沙特阿拉伯的牙科废物管理制定政策和法规。在知识和行为得分与参与者的等级，实践类型和经验年限之间都注意到了统计学上的显着关联。口腔卫生保健提供者对隔离，收集，运输和处理牙科废物应遵循的有效程序的知识薄弱且不合标准。迫切需要为沙特阿拉伯的牙科废物管理制定政策和法规。在知识和行为得分与参与者的等级，实践类型和经验年限之间都注意到了统计学上的显着关联。口腔卫生保健提供者对隔离，收集，运输和处理牙科废物应遵循的有效程序的知识薄弱且不合标准。迫切需要为沙特阿拉伯的牙科废物管理制定政策和法规。

含义：这项研究首次揭示了沙特阿拉伯吉达的牙医在牙科废物管理方面的知识和行为。与会人员对牙齿废弃物的分类，收集，运输和处理的知识和行为被确定为每周不合格。当前，没有清楚地描述与医疗机构中的牙科废物管理有关的不同程序。迫切需要制定牙科废物管理政策和法规。这项研究可以作为将来进行全国性调查以评估口腔保健提供者中与牙科废物管理有关的知识，行为和做法的起点。此外，应加大力度将此学科纳入牙科课程和继续教育课程。