Hepatitis knowledge, serological awareness, vaccination status, and occupational infection concern among dental students: a cross-sectional study

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate dental students’ knowledge of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, HBV vaccination status, serological awareness, occupational infection concern, and infection control practices, and to compare these variables between preclinical and clinical students. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at Dicle University Faculty of Dentistry between March and April 2026. Among 304 participants, third-year students were classified as preclinical and fourth- and fifth-year students as clinical. A study-specific online questionnaire assessed individual knowledge items, self-reported vaccination and testing histories, occupational attitudes, infection concerns, and infection control practices. Unadjusted comparisons and bias reduced binary and multinomial logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, gender, and previous infection control training were performed. Analyses were exploratory, with pointwise 95% confidence intervals (CIs), a nominal two-sided significance threshold of 0.05, and no adjustment for multiple comparisons. Results: Of the participants, 120 (39.5%) were preclinical and 184 (60.5%) were clinical students. No individual HBV/HCV knowledge item differed significantly in unadjusted comparisons. After covariate adjustment, clinical student status was associated with higher odds of reporting complete or partial HBV vaccination relative to non-vaccination, an HBV booster dose (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)= 4.30; 95% CI: 1.55-11.93), anti-HBs testing (aOR=3.33; 95% CI: 1.64-6.74), and anti-HCV testing. Clinical students had lower odds of an affirmative response to the item concerning HBV post-exposure prophylaxis (aOR=0.50; 95% CI: 0.30-0.85). Adjusted response distributions differed for perceived occupational risk, personal responsibility for vaccination and follow-up, feeling unsafe despite protective equipment, mask use, and avoidance of needle recapping. The unadjusted findings for needlestick injury concerns and safe disposal of sharps did not meet the nominal significance threshold after adjustment. Conclusion: Clinical student status was associated with self-reported vaccination and testing histories and selected attitude, infection concern, and practice responses after covariate adjustment. Persistent hepatitis-related knowledge gaps and shortcomings in self-reported safe needle practices highlight educational needs in both groups. These exploratory, cross sectional findings support reinforcement of infection control education and systematic HBV vaccination and appropriate post vaccination follow-up, without establishing an effect of clinical training.