Download PDF
CC BY 4.0 · Eur J Dent 2023; 17(02): 439-449
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1745769
Original Article

Occupational Physical Hazards and Safety Practices at Dental Clinics

Abdulaziz Alamri 
1   Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
,
Mahmoud Fathy ElSharkawy 
2   Department of Environmental Health, College of Public Health, Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
,
Dalal Alafandi
3   Department of Dental Clinics, the Armed Forces Hospitals, Dharan, Saudi Arabia
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Objective Worldwide, dentistry is known as a high-level occupational hazard profession. Dental staff is usually exposed to several types of hazards which include chemical agents, physical, psychological stress, and workplace violence, biological and ergonomics. The objectives of this paper were to assess levels of occupational hazards and evaluate safety practices at dental clinics.

Materials and Methods At several dental clinics, levels of noise, lighting, and radiation were measured by recommended instruments and the safety practice was evaluated using a validated and reliable questionnaire (during 3 months of 2020).

Results The mean levels of noise ranged between 46.3 and 67.2 dB, while the noise dose percent (noise exposure level) ranged between 60.7 and 77.6 dB. The mean levels of lighting ranged from 236.3 lux in the X-ray room to 1,080.3 lux in the dental laboratory. The mean levels of radiation ranged from 7.8 to 12.1 µrem. The mean levels of the three physical hazards were lower than their permissible levels at all locations.

Conclusion Levels of noise in dental clinic were affected by the change in the work activities, while this factor has no effect on the levels of lighting and radiation except for certain processes. The demographic variables such as gender, specialization, and the average number of patients showed a significant association with physical hazards, safety practices, while there was no significant association with radiation protection.

Keywords

noise - radiation - lighting - dental clinic - safety practice - maximum permissible value

Ethical Approval

The approval for this study was taken from Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University and armed force hospital eastern region institutional review board. Each participant was provided with information about the study and the purpose of the study before filling the questionnaire. Besides, consent was taken from each participant in the armed force hospital. All the aspects of the subjects were kept confidential and used only for the study purpose.




Publication History

Article published online:
21 June 2022

© 2022. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
A-12, 2nd Floor, Sector 2, Noida-201301 UP, India

 

  • References

  • 1 Ramachandran S, Carounanidy U, Manikandan S, Kumari R. Evaluation of knowledge, attitude, and practices about the health-related occupational hazards among dental practitioners in Pondicherry, India. J Educ Ethics Dent 2017; 7 (02) 44-48
    CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Puriene A, Aleksejuniene J, Petrauskiene J, Balciuniene I, Janulyte V. Occupational hazards of dental profession to psychological wellbeing. Stomatologija 2007; 9 (03) 72-78
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Mohammed NS, Shaik MA. Occupational hazards in modern dentistry. Int J Exp Dent Sci 2013; 2 (01) 33-40
    CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Al-Khatib IA, Ishtayeh M, Barghouty H, Akkawi B. Dentists' perceptions of occupational hazards and preventive measures in East Jerusalem. East Mediterr Health J 2006; 12 (1-2): 153-160
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Fasunloro A, Owotade FJ. Occupational hazards among clinical dental staff. J Contemp Dent Pract 2004; 5 (02) 134-152
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Huaylah SH, Al-Qahtani TA, Sandeepa NC. Occupational hazards and preventive practices among dentists in Saudi Arabia: a cross sectional survey. Saudi Dent J 2019; 31: S31-S32
    CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Babaji P, Samadi F, Jaiswal JN, Bansal A. Occupational hazards among dentists. J Int Dent Med Res 2011; 4 (02) 87-93
    Google Scholar
  • 8 Reddy KS, Majumder DSP, Doshi D, Kulkarni S, Reddy BS, Reddy MP. Occupational hazards in dentistry. J Res Adv Dent 2017; 6 (02) 110-122
    Google Scholar
  • 9 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 (Isfahan) 2013; 10 (04) 446-451
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Ahmed HO, Ali WJ. Noise levels, noise annoyance, and hearing-related problems in a dental college. Arch Environ Occup Health 2017; 72 (03) 159-165
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Khaimook W, Suksamae P, Choosong T, Chayarpham S, Tantisarasart R. The prevalence of noise-induced occupational hearing loss in dentistry personnel. Workplace Health Saf 2014; 62 (09) 357-360
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Ayatollahi J, Ayatollahi F, Ardekani AM. et al. Occupational hazards to dental staff. Dent Res J (Isfahan) 2012; 9 (01) 2-7
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Singh S, Gambhir RS, Singh G, Sharma S, Kaur A. Noise levels in a dental teaching institute—a matter of concern!. J Clin Exp Dent 2012; 4 (03) e141-e145
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Sampaio Fernandes JC, Carvalho AP, Gallas M, Vaz P, Matos PA. Noise levels in dental schools. Eur J Dent Educ 2006; 10 (01) 32-37
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Diaz-Caballero AJ, Gómez-Palencia IP, Díaz-Cárdenas S. Ergonomic factors that cause the presence of pain muscle in students of dentistry. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal 2010; 15 (06) e906-e911
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Kim YJ, Cha ES, Lee WJ. Occupational radiation procedures and doses in South Korean dentists. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2016; 44 (05) 476-484
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Little MP, Wakeford R, Tawn EJ, Bouffler SD, Berrington de Gonzalez A. Risks associated with low doses and low dose rates of ionizing radiation: why linearity may be (almost) the best we can do. Radiology 2009; 251 (01) 6-12
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Zielinski JM, Garner MJ, Krewski D. et al. Decreases in occupational exposure to ionizing radiation among Canadian dental workers. J Can Dent Assoc 2005; 71 (01) 29-33
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Yengopal V, Naidoo S, Chikte UM. Infection control among dentists in private practice in Durban. SADJ 2001; 56 (12) 580-584
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 El-Sallamy RM, Kabbash IA, El-Fatah SA, El-Feky A. Physical hazard safety awareness among healthcare workers in Tanta university hospitals, Egypt. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2018; 25 (31) 30826-30838
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Iacomussi P, Carcieri P, Rossi G, Migliario M. The factors affecting visual discomfort of dental hygienist. Measurement 2017; 98: 92-102
    CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Argesanu V, Popa A, Jula M, Anghel M, Comes CA, Stratul SI. Visual ambiance for dental practices. Ann DAAAM Proceedings. 2009
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Wee AG, Meyer A, Wu W, Wichman CS. Lighting conditions used during visual shade matching in private dental offices. J Prosthet Dent 2016; 115 (04) 469-474
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Gambhir RS, Singh G, Sharma S, Brar R, Kakar H. Occupational health hazards in current dental profession. Workplace Health Saf 2011; 3: 57-64
    Google Scholar
  • 25 Myers HL, Myers LB. It's difficult being a dentist': stress and health in the general dental practitioner. Br Dent J 2004; 197 (02) 89-93 , discussion 83, quiz 100–101
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Sandeepa NC, Ali SH, AL-Qahtani TA. Occupational hazards and preventive practices among dentists in Saudi Arabia: a cross sectional survey. ASDS 2019; 3 (01) 145-153
    Google Scholar
  • 27 Reddy V, Bennadi D, Satish G, Kura U. Occupational hazards among dentists: a descriptive study. J Oral Hyg Health 2015; 3: 185
    Google Scholar
  • 28 Al-Zoughool M, Al-Shehri Z. Injury and infection in dental clinics: risk factors and prevention. Toxicol Ind Health 2018; 34 (09) 609-619
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 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 (09) 1722-1726
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 30 Solanki J, Gupta S. Occupational hazards among western Indian private dental practitioners: a questionnaire-based descriptive study. J Indian Assoc Public Health Dent 2017; 15 (01) 48-52
    Google Scholar
  • 31 Fasunloro A, Owotade FJ. Occupational hazards among clinical dental staff. J Contemp Dent Pract 2004; 5 (02) 134-152
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 32 Rahman FBA, Gurunathan D, Vasantharajan MS. Knowledge, attitude and practice of radiation exposure protection for pediatric patients among undergraduate dental students. BPJ 2018; 11 (02) 1143-1151
    Google Scholar
  • 33 Prabhat MP, Sudhakar S, Praveen B, Ramaraju K. Knowledge, attitude and questionnaire study. J Adv Oral Res 2011; 2: 45-50
    Google Scholar
  • 34 Furmaniak KZ, Kołodziejska MA, Szopiński KT. Radiation awareness among dentists, radiographers and students. Dentomaxillofac Radiol 2016; 45 (08) 20160097
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 35 Singh RK, Kamath AT, Bhagania MK, Bansal T. Occupational hazards awareness and preventive practices among students of a dental institution in South India. Int J Med Sci Public Health 2016; 5 (11) 2312-2315
    CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • 36 National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Criteria for a Recommended Standard of Occupational Noise Exposure. Cincinnati, OH: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; 1998
    Google Scholar
  • 37 Kumar UK, Murgod S, Roopak B. Health hazards in prosthodontic practice: a review. Indian J Dent Adv 2018; 10 (01) 30-34
    Google Scholar
  • 38 Saudi Arabian Standards Organization. 2009. Code for Lighting of Indoor Work Places. Saudi Standard Draft No: 4520, SASO; Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:
    Google Scholar
  • 39 Alasiri RA, Algarni HA, Alasiri RA. Ocular hazards of curing light units used in dental practice—a systematic review. Saudi Dent J 2019; 31 (02) 173-180
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 40 Kissell D, Partido BB, Moore W. Experience and attitudes regarding requirements for magnification and coaxial illumination among dental hygiene students. J Dent Hyg 2019; 93 (04) 24-32
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 41 Praveen BN, Shubhasini AR, Bhanushree R, Sumsum PS, Sushma CN. Radiation in dental practice: awareness, protection and recommendations. J Contemp Dent Pract 2013; 14 (01) 143-148
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 42 Aravind BS, Joy ET, Kiran MS, Sherubin JE, Sajesh S, Manchil PRD. Attitude and awareness of general dental practitioners toward radiation hazards and safety. J Pharm Bioallied Sci 2016; 8 (Suppl. 01) S53-S58
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 43 California Dental Association. Radiation Safety in Dental Practice. CA: Sacramento; 2014
    Google Scholar
  • 44 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Occupational radiation protection. IAEA Safety Standards for protecting people and the environment, Vienna: General Safety Guide No. GSG-7; Q19 2018. Available at: https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/PUB1785_web.pdf
    Google Scholar
  • 45 Putri FA, Lestari F. 2018 Student perceptions of faculty of medicine, dentistry, nursing, and the pharmacy university of Indonesia in facing disaster as efforts to enhance resilience in university 2017. In the Proceedings of International Conference of Occupational Health and Safety (ICOHS-2017): 462-483
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 46 Al-Rabeah A, Moamed AG. Infection control in the private dental sector in Riyadh. Ann Saudi Med 2002; 22 (1-2): 13-17
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 47 Morris E, Hassan FS, Al Nafisi A, Sugathan TN. Infection control knowledge and practices in Kuwait: a survey on oral health care workers. Saudi Dent J 1996; 8 (01) 699-703
    Google Scholar
  • 48 Behal S. Perception of dental undergraduates and interns on radiation protection safety protocol—a questionnaire based cross-sectional study. IAIM 2016; 3 (12) 68-74
    Google Scholar
  • 49 Kearns HP, Burke FJ, Cheung SW. Cross-infection control in dental practice in the Republic of Ireland. Int Dent J 2001; 51 (01) 17-22
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 50 McCarthy GM, MacDonald JK. The infection control practices of general dental practitioners. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1997; 18 (10) 699-703
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 51 Matoš K, Jurec Z, Galić I, Vodanović M. Education on occupational health and health related habits among dental students in Croatia. Acta Stomatol Croat 2016; 50 (01) 49-57
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 52 Chopra SS, Pandey SS. Occupational hazards among dental surgeons. Med J Armed Forces India 2007; 63 (01) 23-25
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 53 Agrawal N, Gupta ND, Bey A, Garg AK, Sharma V. Occupational hazards in modern dentistry: a review. Int J Med Res 2014; 1 (01) 1-9
    Google Scholar
  • 54 Walsh LJ. 2008. Workplace Health and Safety in Contemporary Dental Practice, 2nd Edition. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia: School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland: Australian Dental Association;
    Google Scholar
  • 55 D'Amico C, Bocchieri S, Stefano R. et al. Dental office prevention of coronavirus infection. Eur J Dent 2020; 14 (S 01, suppl S1): S146-S151
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 56 Ahmed MA, Jouhar R, Adnan S, Ahmed N, Ghazal T, Adanir N. Evaluation of patient's knowledge, attitude, and practice of cross-infection control in dentistry during COVID-19 pandemic. Eur J Dent 2020; 14 (S 01, suppl S1): S1-S6
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 57 Almas K, Khan AS, Tabassum A, Nazir MA, Afaq A, Majeed A. Knowledge, attitudes, and clinical practices of dental professionals during COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan. Eur J Dent 2020; 14 (S 01, suppl S1): S63-S69
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 58 Amato A, Iandolo A, Scelza G, Spirito F, Martina S. COVID-19: The Patients' Perceived Impact on Dental Care. Eur J Dent 2021; 15 (03) 469-474
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 59 Faccini M, Ferruzzi F, Mori AA. et al. Dental care during COVID-19 outbreak: a web-based survey. Eur J Dent 2020; 14 (S 01, suppl S1): S14-S19
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar