Evaluation of the Frequency of Occupational Hazards Among a Group of Iranian General Dentists and its Prevention Criteria

Authors

  • Mehrnaz Karimi Afshar
  • Reza Faryabi
  • Marzieh Karimi Afshar
  • Molook Torabi

Keywords:

Occupational Diseases, Occupational Dentistry, Occupational Health, Health Status

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the frequency of occupational hazards and the criteria for their prevention among Iranian dentists. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 187 general dentists in Kerman. The data collection tool was a questionnaire including personal information (gender, age, marital status, condition and place and years of employment, and the average of weekly working hours) and a valid and reliable questionnaire of occupational hazards, including 24 questions about occupational hazards (6 domain) and nine questions about criteria for the prevention of the risks of dentistry. The t-test, chi-square, and linear regression were used. Results: 92 (49.2%) were men. The mean and standard deviation of the score of occupational hazards was 27.04±16.21 out of 96, and the criteria of prevention were 22.00±7.28 out of 36. Regression analysis showed significant correlations between single statuses, years of occupational and type of employment, weekly work hours and occupational hazards, participation in occupational injury identification courses, and hepatitis vaccination. In addition, there were significant correlations between gender, age, weekly work hours, and preventive measures. Moreover, 3.2% of dentists were in a high-risk group and 26.2% were weak in preventive measures. Conclusion: A total of 32.6% of dentists are at moderate risk of occupational hazards, and 10.7% meet the prevention criteria properly. It is recommended to hold training classes to identify occupational hazards and the criteria for their prevention among dentists.

References

Tadakamadla J, Kumar S, Swapna LA, Reddy S. Occupational hazards and preventive practices among students and faculty at a private dental institution in India. Stomatologija 2012; 14(1):28-32.

Fasunloro A, Owotade FJ. Occupational hazards among clinical dental staff. J Contemp Dent Pract 2004; 5(2):134-52.

Lambert EG, Hogan NL, Griffin ML. The impact of distributive and procedural justice on correctional staff job stress, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. J Crim Justice 2007; 35(6):644-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2007.09.001

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Exposure to Stress: Occuptional Hazards in Hospitals. DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2008-136; 2008.

Nekooi Moghadam M, Amiresmaili MR, Mirshahi F, Sefidbor N, Sharifi T, Ghorbani R, et al. The rate of occupational hazards and its effective factors in nurses of non-educational hospital of Sirjan and Baft in 2011. J. Health Dev 2013; 2(3):235-49.

Ayatollah A, Ayatollahi F, Mellat Ardekani A, Bahrololoomi R, Ayatollahi J, Ayatollahi A, et al. Occupational hazards to dental staff. Dent Res J 2012; 9(1):2-7. https://doi.org/10.4103/1735-3327.92919

Matoš K, Jurec Z, Ivan Galić, Marin Vodanović. Education on occupational health and health related habits among dental students in Croatia. Acta Stomatol Croat 2016; 50(1):49-57. https://doi.org/10.15644/asc50/1/7

Gambhir RS, Singh G, Sharma S, Brar R, Kakar H. Occupational health hazards in current dental profession- a review. Open Occup Health Safety J 2011; 3(1):57-64. https://doi.org/10.2174/1876216601103010057

Ayatollahi J, Bahrololoomi R, Ayatollahi F. Vaccination of dentist and other oral health care providers. J Den Med 2005; 18(3):5-14.

Ayatollahi J, Sharifi MR, Sabzi F, Zare AR. Blood level anti-HBS due to HB vaccine in health care personnel of Shahid Sadoughi Hospital-Yazd. Iran J Obstet Gynecol Infertil 2004; 7(1):48-51.

Leggat PA, Kedjarune U. Bacterial aerosols in the dental clinic: a review. Int Dent J 2001; 51(1):39-44. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1875-595x.2001.tb00816.x

Samaranayake P. Re-emergence of tuberculosis and its variants: Implications for dentistry. Int Dent J 2002; 52(5):330-6. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1875-595x.2002.tb00880.x

Rodríguez Vázquez LM, Rubiños López E, Varela Centelles A, Blanco Otero AI, Varela Otero F, Varela Centelles P. Stress amongst primary dental care patients. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal 2008; 13(4):E253- E256.

Winwood PC, Winefield AH, Lushington K. The role of occupational stress in the maladaptive use of alcohol by dentists: A study of South Australian general dental practitioners. Aust Dent J 2003; 48(2):102-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1834-7819.2003.tb00017.x

Rubel DM, Watchorn RB. Allergic contact dermatitis in dentistry. Aust J Dermatol 2000; 41(2):63-9. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-0960.2000.00398.x

Al-Khatib IA, Darwish R. Assessment of waste amalgam management in dental clinics in Ramallah and Al-Bireh cities in Palestine. Int J Environ Health Res 2004; 14(3):179-83. https://doi.org/10.1080/09603120420002000218598

Shuhaiber S, Einarson A, Radde IC, Sarkar M, Koren G. A prospective controlled study of pregnant veterinary staff exposed to inhaled anesthetics and X-rays. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2002; 15(4):363-73.

Henderson KA, Matthews IP. Environmental monitoring of nitrous oxide during dental anaesthesia. Br Dent J 2000; 188(11):617-9. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4800556

Garner GG, Federman J, Johnson A. Noise induced hearing loss in the dental environment: An audiologist's perspective. J Georgia Dent Assoc 2002; 17-19.

Al-aslami RA, Elshamy FMM, Maamar EM, Shannaq AY, Dallak AE, Alroduni AA. Knowledge and awareness towards occupational hazards and preventive measures among students and dentists in Jazan Dental College, Saudi Arabia. Open Access Maced J Med Sci 2018; 6(9):1722-6. https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2018.345

Shah SM, Merchant AT, Dosman JA. Percutaneous injuries among dental professionals in Washington State. BMC Public Health 2006; 6:269. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-6-269

Abichandani S, Shaikh S, Nadiger R. Carpal tunnel syndrome - an occupational hazard facing dentistry. Int Dent J 2013; 63(5):230-6. https://doi.org/10.1111/idj.12037

Puriene A, Aleksejuniene J, Petrauskiene J, Balciuniene I, Janulyte V. Self-reported occupational health issues among Lithuanian dentists. Ind Health 2008; 46(4):369-74. https://doi.org/10.2486/indhealth.46.369

Afshar MK, Torabi M, Bahremand M, Afshar MK, Najmi F, Mohammadzadeh I. Oral health literacy and related factors among pregnant women referring to Health Government Institute in Kerman, Iran. Pesqui Bras Odontopediatria Clín Integr 2020; 20:e5337. https://doi.org/10.1590/pboci.2020.011

Torabi M, Shahravan A, Afshar MK, Shenasa Y, Mobasher M. Knowledge and attitude about research ethics among Iranian dental students. Pesqui Bras Odontopediatria Clín Integr 2021; 21:e0127. https://doi.org/10.1590/pboci.2021.081

Afshar MK, Safarian F, Torabi M, Farsinejad A, Mohammadzadeh I. Comparison of TNF-α and IL-1β concentrations in gingival crevicular fluid during early alignment stage of orthodontic treatment in adults and adolescents. Pesqui Bras Odontopediatria Clín Integr 2020; 20:e0004. https://doi.org/10.1590/pboci.2020.086

Zihayat B, Khodadadi A, Torabi M, Mehdipour M, Basiri M, Asadi-Shekarri M. Wound healing activity of sheep's bladder extracellular matrix in diabetic rats. Biomed Eng-Appl Basis Commun 2018; 30(2):1850015. https://doi.org/10.4015/S1016237218500151

Moodley R, Naidoo S, Wyk JV. The prevalence of occupational health-related problems in dentistry: A review of the literature. J Occup Health 2018; 60(2):111-25. https://doi.org/10.1539/joh.17-0188-RA

Harutunian K, Gargallo-Albiol J, Figueiredo R, Gay-Escoda C, et al. Ergonomics and musculoskeletal pain among postgraduate students and faculty members of the School of Dentistry of the University of Barcelona (Spain). A cross-sectional study. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal 2011; 16(3):425-9. https://doi.org/10.4317/medoral.16.e425

Martins A M, Santos NC, Lima MD, Pereira RD, Ferreira RC. Needle stick and sharp instrument injuries among dentists in Montes Claros, Brazil. Arq Odontol 2010; 46(3):127-35. https://doi.org/10.4103/ccd.ccd_1173_16

Wicker S, Rabenau HF. Occupational exposures to bloodborne viruses among German dental professionals and students in a clinical setting. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2010; 83(1):77-83.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-009-0452-3

Pavičin IS, Lovrić Z, Çeshko AZ, Vodanović M. Occupational injuries among dentists in Croatia. Acta Stomatol Croat 2020; 54(1):51-9. https://doi.org/10.15644/asc54/1/6

Shah SM, Merchant AT, Dosman JA. Percutaneous injuries among dental professionals in Washington State. BMC Public Health 2006; 6:269. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-6-269

Shaghaghian S, Golkari A, Pardis S, Rezayi A. Occupational exposure of Shiraz dental students to patients' blood and body fluid. J Dent 2015; 16(3):206-13.

Alsabaani NA, Awadalla NJ, Abu Saq IH, Abualiat ZM, Alshahrani MA, Alqahtani AM, et al. Occupational ocular incidents in dentists: a multicentre study in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Int Dent J 2017; 67(6):371-7. https://doi.org/10.1111/idj.12324

Zarra T, Lambrianidis T. Musculoskeletal disorders amongst Greek endodontists: a national questionnaire survey. Int Endod J 2014; 47(8):791-801. https://doi.org/10.1111/iej.12219

Chopra SS, Pandey SS. Occupational hazards among dental surgeons. Med J Armed Forces India 2007; 63(1):23-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-1237(07)80100-6

Yoshino F, Yoshida A. Effects of blue-light irradiation during dental treatment. Jpn Dent Sci Rev 2018; 54(4):160-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdsr.2018.06.002

Mohammed NS, Shaik MA. Occupational hazards in modern dentistry. Int J Experiment Dent Sci 2013; 2(1):33-40. https://doi.org/10.5005/jp-journals-10029-1037

Bârlean L, Dănilă I, Săveanu I, Balcoş C. Occupational health problems among dentists in Moldavian Region of Romania. Rev Med Chir Soc Med Nat Iasi 2013; 117(3):784-8.

Torabi Parizi M, Ali Eskandarizadeh A, Karimi Afshar M, Asadi Shekaari M, Jangjoo A. The frequency of job burnout among dentists of Kerman City. J Health Dev 2015; 3(4):333-40.

LaPorta LD. Occupational stress in oral and maxillofacial surgeons: tendencies, traits, and triggers. Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am 2010; 22(4):495-502. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coms.2010.07.006

Rada RE, Johnson-Leong C. Stress, burnout, anxiety and depression among dentists. J Am Dent Assoc 2004; 135(6):788-94. https://doi.org/10.14219/jada.archive.2004.0279

Ramaswami E, Nimma V, Jakhete A, Lingam AS, Contractor I, Kadam S. Assessment of occupational hazards among dentists practicing in Mumbai. J Family Med Prim Care 2020; 9(4): 2016-21. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1180_19

Sharma P, Golchha V. Awareness among Indian dentist regarding the role of physical activity in prevention of work related musculoskeletal disorder. Indian J Dent Res 2011; 22(3):381-4. https://doi.org/10.4103/0970-9290.87057

Mehta A, Gupta M, Upadhyaya N. Status of occupational hazards and their prevention among dental professionals in Chandigarh, India: a comprehensive questionnaire survey. Dent Res J 2013; 10(4):446-51.

Downloads

Published

2022-01-29

How to Cite

Afshar, M. K. ., Faryabi, R. ., Afshar, M. K. ., & Torabi, M. . (2022). Evaluation of the Frequency of Occupational Hazards Among a Group of Iranian General Dentists and its Prevention Criteria. Pesquisa Brasileira Em Odontopediatria E Clínica Integrada, 22, e210076. Retrieved from https://revista.uepb.edu.br/PBOCI/article/view/956

Issue

Section

Original Articles