Microbial load on dental students' hands: A gender and academic stage analysis

Aims: Hand contamination poses a significant risk of cross-infection in dental settings, especially among students in training.This study aimed to investigate the level of microbial contamination on the hands of dental students at Al-Hadi University College, with a focus on gender, academic level, and hand dominance.Methodology and results: 35 students (17 males, 18 females) from the third, fourth, and fifth academic years participated in the study.Impression sampling was used to collect bacterial samples from the thumb and index fingers after academic or clinical activities.Samples were collected immediately after clinical or academic activities using impression sampling on MacConkey agar to isolate Gram-negative bacteria.Colony-forming units (CFUs) per plate were then counted.Fifth-year students showed the highest mean contamination (22 CFU/plate), followed by fourth-year (6 CFU/plate) and third-year students (5 CFU/plate).Males (14 CFU/plate) and right-handed students (16 CFU/plate) exhibited higher microbial loads than females (8 CFU/plate) and left-handed students (5 CFU/plate), though only academic stage was significantly associated with CFU count (p < 0.01), with significant differences between fifth-year students and both third-year (p = 0.008) and fourth-year students (p = 0.015). Conclusion, significance and impact of study:The research emphasizes the importance of reinforced hand hygiene protocols among dental students, particularly in the later clinical years, to reduce the risk of microbial contamination and potential cross-infection.