Abstract
BackgroundThe dental surgeon and dental health assistant experience risk situations and must be prepared for the prevention of diseases and accidents at work.ObjectiveEvaluating the prevalence of occupational infectious diseases and prevention measures used by the DS and dental health assistants.MethodsCross-sectional study carried out with professionals working at the Northwestern region of Rio Grande do Sul. We carried out an interview using a structured questionnaire containing variables related to sociodemographic factors and prevention of infectious diseases. Subjects were submitted to blood collection for serological test for infectious diseases.ResultsThe use of goggles and cap was higher among the dental health assistant. The dental surgeon reported frequent use of mask: 45.5% replaced the used mask at each new patient. All participants reported using gloves and changing them for each new patient. 78.3% of workers have attended patients with infectious diseases. Among professionals evaluated, dental surgeons reported the highest number of accidents with needle stick instruments (59.1%). Post-exposure prophylaxis procedures are known by 68.2% of dental surgeon and 62.5% of dental health assistant. We did not find positive results for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).ConclusionsWe did not found cases of occupational infectious disease. Dental professionals adopt some preventive actions, but a few professionals, even knowing about the risks they will be exposed during work, do not use some protective equipment.
Highlights
Occupational diseases represent a work-related health problem
Our results indicated that most of the interviewed professionals were White and female, and 59.1% of dental surgeons (DS) and 50% of dental assistants (DA) had less than 5 years of professional activity
This study evaluated the prevalence of infectious diseases among oral health care workers and no positive cases were identified
Summary
Occupational diseases represent a work-related health problem. Health care professionals such as dental surgeons (DS) and dental assistants (DA) face risk situations daily and must be well informed about the prevention of diseases and occupational risks. The first report of an accidental occupational contamination of health care professionals in Brazil is from 1984.2 Since and despite the safety measures emphasized by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, such as the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE), the number of professionals who have contracted diseases due to the exposure to occupational hazards has gradually increased.[3] The adequate use of PPE indicates whether the professionals are aware of work-related risks and of how these utensils protect them from infectious diseases (among other hazards) and prevent crossinfections. Knowledge on infectious disease prevention in dentistry is crucial for DS and DA in order to prevent an increase in the prevalence of infectious diseases among both professionals and patients.[4,5] The use of PPE provides DS, DA, and patients with a more reliable and safe care, reducing the possibility of infectious microorganism transmission as well as risks of crossinfection and occupational diseases.[6]
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