Abstract
Background and aims. Although wearing a white coat is an accepted part of medical and dental practice, it is a potential
source of cross-infection. The objective of this study was to determine the level and type of microbial contamination present on
the white coats of dental interns, graduate students and faculty in a dental clinic.
Materials and methods. Questionnaire and cross-sectional survey of the bacterial contamination of white coats in two
predetermined areas (chest and pocket) on the white coats were done in a rural dental care center. Paired sample t-test and chisquare
test were used for Statistical analysis.
Results. 60.8% of the participants reported washing their white coats once a week. Grading by the examiner revealed 15.7%
dirty white coats. Also, 82.5% of the interns showed bacterial contamination of their white coats compared to 74.7% graduate
students and 75% faculty members irrespective of the area examined. However, chest area was consistently a more bacteriologically
contaminated site as compared to the pocket area. Antibiotic sensitivity testing revealed resistant varieties of microorganisms
against Amoxicillin (60%), Erythromycin (42.5%) and Cotrimoxazole (35.2%).
Conclusion. The white coats seem to be a potential source of cross-infection in the dental setting. The bacterial contamination
carried by white coats, as demonstrated in this study, supports the ban on white coats from non-clinical areas.