Questionnaire-Based Study on the Prevalence, Awareness, and Preventive Measures of Occupational Hazards Among Dental Professionals

BACKGROUND: In this questionnaire-based study, we evaluated the prevalence and awareness level of occupational hazards among dental professionals (students, interns, dentists, and specialists) at different dentistry colleges. MATERIALS/METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was designed from previously conducted studies and distributed to 310 participants from different dental colleges of dentistry in Sana’a City, Yemen. The questionnaire was divided into 4 parts. The first part comprised questions involving sex, age, and clinical professions; the second part, questions on awareness about different occupational hazards; the third part, questions about prevalence of occupational hazards; and the fourth part, questions related to bringing down the prevalence of occupational hazards associated with a dental practice. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and chi-square tests. RESULTS: Significant differences were detected between sex, age groups, and clinical professions. Musculoskeletal disorders were the most common physical hazard, whereas infections were the greatest biological hazard, accounting for 68% and 74%, respectively. Of the participants, 63.5% answered that “patient, practice, and finance” together were the most common causes of stress among practicing dentists and dental students. The use of gloves and/or masks was the most efficient preventive measure among participants. A significant difference was found among most of the parameters, with P≤0.001. Almost 50% of respondents answered “yes” in relation to vaccination for hepatitis-B, with P=0.062. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of occupational hazards was low among dentists and dental students among the tested participants, with significant differences for most of the parameters.