A Protective Barrier in Dental Clinics: Disposable Mobile Sleeves | Chapter 8 | New Frontiers in Medicine and Medical Research Vol. 4

 Aim: To assess the prevalence of bacteria on mobile phones in dental clinics as a potential source of illness and to recommend the usage of disposable sleeves to lower microorganism levels in dental clinics.

Materials and Procedures: A 25-phone observational study was done on two groups, the study group (group I) and the control group (group II). The mobile phones were cleaned with an alcohol-based disinfectant under aseptic circumstances before entering the dental clinics. The phones in group I were then covered with an autoclaved disposable sleeve containing a chemical indicator, whereas those in group II were left exposed. Swabs were taken from the surfaces of both group I and group II phones after five hours. The swabs were cultured and incubated for 24 hours on blood agar to determine their microbial load.

Results: Microorganisms grew in the sample collected from the sleeve, but none grew on the movable surface of group I. On the other hand, group II's movable surface had a high microbial load.

Conclusion: Mobile phones can act as a fomite in dental settings, and the usage of disposable sleeves can successfully prevent microbe cross contamination, acting as a protective barrier. As a result, in dental clinics, these sleeves serve as another another protective barrier. In clinics, a simple, inexpensive, and easily obtained movable sleeve can make a significant difference.

Author (S) Details

Sanchi Gupta
Deptartment of Oral Medicine & Radiology, ITS Centre for Dental Studies & Research, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Manisha Lakhanpal Sharma
Deptartment of Oral Medicine & Radiology, ITS Centre for Dental Studies & Research, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Vandana Srivastava
Deptartment of Microbiology, ITS Centre for Dental Studies & Research, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Manu Dhillon
Deptartment of Oral Medicine & Radiology, ITS Centre for Dental Studies & Research, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.

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