University Archives

The process of effective infection control by the University of Detroit Mercy Dental and Dental Hygiene students in the clinic is an area of concern due to the exposure to potentially harmful bacteria. Despite well-established protocols and education, cleanliness, and contamination remain an issue. This study aimed to evaluate the University of Detroit Mercy Dental and Dental Hygiene students' compliance with infection control procedures by testing microbial contamination levels on commonly used operatory surfaces after patient care. Two surfaces, including the overhead light (handles, arm, glass) and computer keyboards (keys A-L, spacebar, number pad), were swabbed during the transition from morning to afternoon clinic sessions. A total of 179 samples were collected from 53 randomized bays across two clinics. Samples were inoculated into a PBS tube, diluted 1:10, and each sample was plated onto blood agar plates. Bacterial colonies were counted using colony-forming units (CFUs). 76% of all bays (70% Blue, 82% Red) sampled were contaminated with detectable levels of skin, oral or environmental bacteria. Clinical keyboards showed higher bacterial loads of >10 (101) cfu, while overhead lights were generally cleaner, with most samples containing <10 cfu. To assess disinfectant efficacy, intentionally contaminated surfaces containing up to 3 x107 CFU of Streptococcus mutans was treated according to the University's infection control guidelines. CaviWipes effectively eliminated all detectable bacteria under these conditions. These findings show the persistent contamination of clinical keyboards and variability in infection control completion, which support the need for more education and remediation to improve compliance.