Infection Control Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Among Undergraduate Dental Students: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based Study

Infection control and its Prevention has emerged as a crucial aspect of dentistry as it is pivotal in balancing effective patient care with safety and protection of healthcare professionals¹ .The dental profession has been at the centre of infection control due to high risk of cross-contamination between patients and the health care personnel ² .The right knowledge, a positive attitude, and good practices altogether form the basic framework to guide dental students as well as dentists in treating and serving their patients ³ .According to the latest report of UNAIDS approximately 40.8 million people globally were living with HIV at the end of 2024 ⁴.Despite India has shown 48.7% decline in annual new infections since 2010 ( National AIDS Control Organisation ) it is of utmost importance to consider the possibility of patient to be a potential risk for HIV .According to the latest WHO Global Hepatitis Report , India holds the second highest global burden of Hepatitis C cases .The patients with blood borne infections are often asymptomatic , it is stated by the Centres For Disease Control And Prevention that all blood as well as body fluids contaminated by blood should be treated to be infectious ⁵.University education regarding this topic plays an important role in spreading public health awareness among future practitioners ⁶.This study aims to assess the awareness of dental students regarding infection control and evaluate their adherence to recommended infection control practices . II. MATERIALS AND METHODA cross -sectional study design was employed to conduct this study .A questionnaire comprising of closed end as well as open end questions was circulated through google form among the target population .The target population for this study were third year students , final year students , and interns .They were selected due to their clinical exposure , which increases their vulnerability to healthcare associated infections .The first year students , and second year students were exempted from this study .The data collected was analysed statistically and studied for the results . III. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONThe aim of the study as well as the type of questions and their format was explained to the participants .The participation record was kept anonymous .People who refrained from participating were excluded from the study .The confidentiality of the