Infection Control Education Using Droplet Diffusion Experiment Videos: Evaluating Effectiveness Through Questionnaire Surveys and Noise Measurements

Abstract

  Ensuring safe dental care requires effective infection control measures, particularly during procedures that generate droplets. Although suction devices reduce droplet exposure, the use of extraoral vacuum devices remains limited because of installation costs, noise, and spatial constraints. To provide visually intuitive infection control education, we developed a 20‑minute educational video incorporating droplet‑visualization footage obtained from simulated dental procedures. The video consisted of three parts: fundamentals of infection control, characteristics of droplets produced during dental treatments, and the effectiveness and limitations of intra- and extraoral vacuum devices. To evaluate changes in awareness and behavioral intentions, 260 dentists at a university hospital completed a questionnaire immediately after viewing the video. Logistic regression analysis showed that the intention to increase future use was highest for extraoral vacuum devices (76.3%), and odds ratios for all other PPE and suction devices were significantly lower than for the reference category (FWER‑adjusted p<0.05). To indirectly assess behavioral changes in clinical settings, noise levels in five dental clinics were measured before and after the training. The frequency of noise exceeding 65 dB, an indirect indicator of extraoral vacuum operation, showed a significant post‑training increase, although noise does not directly confirm device usage. These findings suggest that visually explicit educational materials, particularly those that make droplet behavior observable, can enhance dentists’ awareness of infection control and may encourage behavioral changes, such as the increased use of extraoral vacuum devices.