Which is one of the five moments of hand hygiene?

• A. During patient diagnosis
• B. Before starting a non-clinical task
• C. After lunch
• D. Before patient contact

Answer: (D)

Hand hygiene in dental care is guided by five moments designed to interrupt transmission at the points of care. The moment before touching a patient is the best answer because it stops any microorganisms you might carry on your hands from being transferred as you first come into contact with the patient, protecting both patient and clinician from initial contamination. The other options don’t correspond to a defined moment in the five-moment framework—non-clinical tasks or meals aren’t counted as occasions to perform hand hygiene in this system. In practice, you apply hand hygiene before touching a patient, before any clean or aseptic procedure, after potential exposure to body fluids, after touching a patient, and after touching the patient’s surroundings. Use soap and water if hands are visibly dirty; otherwise, an alcohol-based hand rub is appropriate.