Dental institutions that are accredited, have a higher number of dentists, and have a coordinator for infection control may pay more to prevent infections. The study was recently published in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene.
The presence of a dental infection control coordinator had the most dramatic effect on expenses, the authors wrote.
“For optimal DIC in dental settings, enhancing education and awareness among dental professionals, centred on the role of DIC (dental infection control) coordinators, is of paramount importance,” wrote co-author Han-Na Kim of Yonsei University in the Republic of Korea (Int J Dent Hyg, June 4, 2026).
Past studies have shown that infection prevention practices may vary due to individuals’ general characteristics and the unique features of dental institutions. While researchers have investigated differences in infection prevention practices and awareness based on general characteristics, few studies have compared the direct infection control costs in dental institutions, according to the study.
To investigate if cost differences varied with DIC practices between different types of dental institutions, data were collected from surveys completed at 20 dental institutions, totaling 357 dental team members. Of these staff members, 79 were dentists, 202 were dental hygienists, 16 were nurses, and 60 were other personnel, the authors wrote.
Furthermore, the cost of infection control was calculated based on consumables, time, and labor costs to determine the cost of treating one patient per clinical procedure.
Several factors showed significant links between infection control expenses and higher costs: the number of dentists (β = 0.161, p = 0.001), the number of staff per dentist (β = −0.324, p < 0.001), the presence of a DIC coordinator (β = 0.402, p < 0.001), and healthcare accreditation (β = 0.165, p < 0.001). Additionally, the most influential factor was the presence of a DIC coordinator (β = 0.402), the authors wrote.
However, the study is not without shortcomings, including that the number of survey participants was low, they wrote.
“Furthermore, a policy framework is essential to ensure that every dental institution is equipped with designated personnel responsible for DIC,” Kim and co-author Na-Young Lee wrote.
