A cross-sectional survey of awareness, attitude, and preventive measures of occupational hazards by dental students and professionals in Faridabad city

• Author Details:   
• Vishal Kumar Dubey
• Zaib Mirza
• V Vanshika
• Umer Bashir
• Sapna Rani ^*

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Background: Occupational hazards are inevitable risks to health in any occupation, although they are more prevalent among oral healthcare professionals.
Aim/Objective: The present study aims to assess the awareness, attitude, and preventive measures employed by dental students and professionals in Faridabad City, India.
Materials and Methods: In Google Forms or printed versions, a pre-validated questionnaire-based survey was conducted on 379 participants, including dental students and professionals. Questions about their demographic data, awareness, attitude about occupational hazards, and preventive measures were included in the survey. Data was collected in an Excel sheet and tabulated for statistical analysis. The chi-square test will be used for categorical variables with significance p<0>
Results: The response rate of this survey was 75.8%. Predominantly females were there in the studied population. 40% of the population experienced allergic reactions, predominantly latex gloves and monomers. The majority of the population didn’t experience any occupational hazards. Most of the studied population was aware of personal protection. 78.2% of the population had hepatitis B vaccination. 96.6% of the population followed proper biological waste disposal. 93.3% of the population agreed to follow proper recommendations after a sharp injury. Sharps injury showed a significant difference (p=0.001) for undergraduates for needle prick injury and explorer prick, while general practitioners and specialists were more exposed to more than one sharp injury. Regarding radiation exposure, undergraduates' awareness was statistically less prevalent (p=0.001).
Conclusion: Workshops and seminars should be arranged on the importance of knowledge and prevention of occupational hazards acquired by dental professionals. Prevention of MSP with the incorporation of ergonomics in dentistry is required for dental professionals.

Keywords: Occupational hazard, Allergy, Sharp injury, Dental professional, Survey