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PATIENTS' ATTITUDES T0 WEARING OF GLOVES BY DENTISTS IN NIGERIA
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate patient's attitudes to the use of gloves by dentists.
Design: This consisted of a four-item questionnaire administered to 445 consecutive patients
attending our dental clinic.
Setting: Obafemi Awolowo IJniversity Teaching Hospitals' Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Subjects: Four hundred and forty five patients above the age of fifteen years attending the
dental clinic for the first time.
Results: Majority of the patients were in the 20-30 year agtr group and over 93% had formal
education. Most of the respondents (88.8%) stated that glove wearing was essential and over
63% considered that glo~e wearing protected both theoperator and the patient. Whilstabout
one-third of respondents would attend for treatment when gloves were not worn, 81.3% felt
that gloves should be changed after each patient. There were statistically significant
differences (pc0.05) in responses in relation to age-groups and educational attainment,
however no sex differences (p>0.05) were reported.
Conclusion: This survey showed a high level of awareness by patients on the use of gloves by
dentists. It also found that age-groups and levels of educational attainment influenced
patients attitude to glove use.
Design: This consisted of a four-item questionnaire administered to 445 consecutive patients
attending our dental clinic.
Setting: Obafemi Awolowo IJniversity Teaching Hospitals' Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Subjects: Four hundred and forty five patients above the age of fifteen years attending the
dental clinic for the first time.
Results: Majority of the patients were in the 20-30 year agtr group and over 93% had formal
education. Most of the respondents (88.8%) stated that glove wearing was essential and over
63% considered that glo~e wearing protected both theoperator and the patient. Whilstabout
one-third of respondents would attend for treatment when gloves were not worn, 81.3% felt
that gloves should be changed after each patient. There were statistically significant
differences (pc0.05) in responses in relation to age-groups and educational attainment,
however no sex differences (p>0.05) were reported.
Conclusion: This survey showed a high level of awareness by patients on the use of gloves by
dentists. It also found that age-groups and levels of educational attainment influenced
patients attitude to glove use.
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