Abstract
BackgroundOccupational violence is considered unlawful in professional environments worldwide. In the healthcare industry, including dentistry, the safety of workers is essential, and it is of the utmost importance to ensure patient and employee safety and provide quality care. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of violence and associated workplace policies among oral healthcare professionals. Additionally, it aimed to identify the factors associated with violence and their impact on oral healthcare workers.MethodsA systematic review and analysis of the literature was conducted using PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and ProQuest. Original articles written in English and published between January 1992 and August 2019 were included in the analysis.ResultsA total of 980 articles were found, and eight were selected for analysis. The violence experienced by healthcare workers included both physical and non-physical forms, such as shouting, bullying, and threatening; it also included sexual harassment. The impact of violence on workers manifested as impaired quality of work, psychological problems, and, although rare, quitting the job. With regard to dental healthcare, awareness of occupational violence policies among dental professionals has not been previously reported in the literature.ConclusionsThe increasing incidence of occupational violence against oral healthcare workers indicates the need for the implementation of better protective measures to create a safe working environment for dental professionals. There is a current need for increasing awareness of workplace violence policies and for the detection and reporting of aggression and violence at dental facilities.
Highlights
Occupational violence is considered unlawful in professional environments worldwide
We report this manuscript in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA statement) guideline [11]
Sexual harassment was predominant among the types of violence that occurred in the field of dentistry, with a prevalence rate ranging from 6.8 to 54% in almost all the studies [1, 7]
Summary
Occupational violence is considered unlawful in professional environments worldwide. In the healthcare industry, including dentistry, the safety of workers is essential, and it is of the utmost importance to ensure patient and employee safety and provide quality care. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of violence and associated workplace policies among oral healthcare professionals. It aimed to identify the factors associated with violence and their impact on oral healthcare workers. With the increasing incidence of violence worldwide, occupational violence has become a reality for all kinds of workers in various kinds of workplaces. Oral healthcare occupational violence can be categorised into various forms, such as verbal abuse, property damage or theft, Binmadi and Alblowi BMC Oral Health (2019) 19:279 physical abuse, sexual harassment, and bullying. Other studies have focused on sexual harassment due to the major increase in the number of women as healthcare professionals [5,6,7]. Because of the aesthetic value associated with the face, any error on the part of a dentist can trigger rage and anger among patients, leading to violent incidents [8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
