Microbial contamination in disposable caps and cloth caps in the periodontics department of the Dr. Rene Puig Bentz Dental Clinic at the Pedro Henríquez Ureña National University

This dataset is from a comparative study that aimed to evaluate microbial contamination in disposable and cloth surgical caps used in the periodontics department of the Dr. René Puig Bentz Dental Clinic. The hypothesis was that there would be differences in bacterial load between the two types of caps, with cloth caps being more susceptible to contamination due to their reusability and exposure to an environment with high aerosol generation. A cross- sectional study was conducted using a sample of 60 caps (30 disposable and 30 cloth), from which 120 microbiological samples were obtained before and after use. Data were collected using microbiological sampling techniques that allowed for quantification of the bacterial load and identification of microorganisms. The results showed that cloth caps exhibited higher microbial contamination before use and a greater increase after use compared to disposable caps. Microorganisms characteristic of the dental environment, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus spp., Lactobacillus spp., and Pseudomonas spp., were identified. The analysis revealed statistically significant differences between the two types of caps. These results suggest that material type and use conditions influence bacterial load, highlighting the need to strengthen biosafety protocols and control the use and replacement of caps. These findings suggest that material type and usage conditions influence bacterial load, underscoring the importance of strengthening biosafety protocols and controlling the use and replacement of clinical caps to minimize the risk of cross-contamination.本数据集源自一项对照研究，旨在评估勒内·普伊格·本茨博士牙科诊所（Dr. René Puig Bentz Dental Clinic）牙周科所使用的一次性与棉质手术帽的微生物污染情况。该研究提出的假说为：两类手术帽的细菌负荷存在差异，棉质手术帽因可重复使用且暴露于气溶胶产生量较高的环境中，更易受到污染。本研究采用横断面研究设计，共纳入60顶手术帽作为样本（其中一次性与棉质帽各30顶），分别在使用前后采集共计120份微生物样本。研究通过微生物采样技术收集数据，可实现细菌负荷的定量分析与微生物种类鉴定。结果显示，相较于一次性手术帽，棉质手术帽在使用前的微生物污染水平更高，且使用后污染水平的增幅更大。研究鉴定出了牙科环境中典型的微生物，包括金黄色葡萄球菌（Staphylococcus aureus）、芽孢杆菌属（Bacillus spp.）、乳酸杆菌属（Lactobacillus spp.）以及假单胞菌属（Pseudomonas spp.）。分析结果显示，两类手术帽之间存在统计学意义上的显著差异。上述结果表明，手术帽的材质类型与使用条件会影响细菌负荷，凸显了强化生物安全规程、规范手术帽使用与更换流程的必要性。本研究结果进一步证实，材质类型与使用条件均会对细菌负荷产生影响，强调了强化生物安全规程、规范临床手术帽的使用与更换流程，以最大限度降低交叉污染风险的重要性。