Relationship between compliance level of dentist infection control and microorganism number on dental unit at Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang Dental and Oral Hospital

Infection control efforts in dentistry are critical for preventing contamination and the spread of microorganisms. The purpose of this study is to examine how the quantity of microorganisms on the surfaces of dental units and the dentist's level of infection control compliance relate to one another. Observational Analytic Research was conducted at specialist and general dental clinics at Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang (Unimus) Dental and Oral Hospital. Observations were made regarding infection control in September 2024. Data was collected by swabbing the dental unit's surface. Bacterial counting was performed using a Colony Counter instrument, and the findings were reported as colony forming units (CFU). Identified by their bacterial species using the Vitek 2 Compact tool. The number of microorganisms in the dental unit at the Unimus Dental and Oral Hospital was 31,743 CFU/mL with details of 590 CFU/mL (Oral Surgery); 100 CFU/mL (Dental Conservation); 0 CFU/mL (Oral Disease); 145 CFU/mL (Pedodontic); 27,775 CFU/mL (Prosthodontic); 0 CFU/mL (Periodontic); 100 CFU/mL (Orthodontic); 3033 CFU/mL (General). Dentists' compliance with infection control measures was found to be moderate (65%). The most prevalent microbe detected at Unimus Dental and Oral Hospital was Sphingomonas paucimobilis (56%). Statistical research revealed a strong correlation between compliance level and microbe count (p-value 0.014 <0.05). There was a significant relationship between the level of compliance and the number of microorganisms. The higher the level of infection control compliance of dentists, the fewer the number of microorganisms and vice versa.