Occupational hazards to dental staff !!!

Dental professionals are predisposed to a number of occupational hazards. These include exposure to infections (including Human Immunodeficiency Virus and viral hepatitis); percutaneous exposure incidents, dental materials, radiation, and noise; musculoskeletal disorders; psychological problems and dermatitis; respiratory disorders; and eye insults.

Basically, for any infection control strategies, dentists should be aware of individual protective measures and appropriate sterilization or other high-level disinfection utilities.

Dentistry is considered by the practitioners and most of the public as being extremely hazardous. The hazards include the following:

Infectious Hazards: Needles and other sharp objects spatter, and aerosols can transmit viral infections such as life-threatening infections such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and hepatitis B. Bacterial infections also play an important role. The leading causes that should be concerned are syphilis and tuberculosis. 

Psychological Hazards: Stress is the leading psychological condition that occurs in the dental profession. Many studies implicate that dentists perceive their profession as more stressful than other jobs. Negative picture induced by the media of dentistry as a profession filled with dangers may be the leading causes.

Allergic Reactions: Gloves containing latex are the main causes of the allergic skin irritation, but dental materials, detergents, lubricating oils, solvents, and X-ray processing chemicals could lead to an allergic skin reaction. 

Physical Hazards: These include musculoskeletal complications which have direct relation to dentistry procedure, like postural situations that may increase the risk of twisting and contorting the body, varicose, etc.  

Mercury Health Hazard: It has been proved that high mercury vapor high dose exposure can lead to biological and neurological insults. Sealed amalgam capsules use with lower mercury level, water irrigation and high suction, good ventilation and proper collection, and discarding of amalgam have substantially diminished the mercury dangers. 

Ionizing Radiation: Taking X-ray machines in the dental office predispose dentists to suffer from ionizing radiation.

Non-Ionizing Radiation: This has recently become a concern since the use of composites and other resins, next to the use of lasers in dentistry procedures, which has added another potential hazard to eye and other tissues that may be directly exposed. 

Anesthetic Gases in the Dental Office: Using nitrous oxide gas regularly over an extended period of time may contain hazard.

Concerning prevention, the global literature focuses strictly on control of infections and appropriate management of potentially infected materials, owing to the high profile of dentistry regarding infection transmission. Barrier utilities such as gloves, masks, protective eye wear, high power suction, and good ventilation reduce aerosols and vapor hazards. Hypoallergenic non-latex gloves can decline latex allergy. Lead aprons, periodic maintenance of the X-ray machine and radiation level sensors deal with radiation dangers.

So, it is important for dentists to remain constantly up-to-date about measures on how to deal with newer strategies and dental materials, and implicates the need for special medical care for this professional group.