Occupational hazards in dentistry – Knowledge attitudes and practices of dental practitioners in Belgaum city

Work is a major determinant of our income, livelihood, life-styles, social interactions and health. All kinds of occupation have their own hazards and so does dentistry. A study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of dentists towards the occupational hazards and also the methods employed to prevent them. The whole population of dental practitioners in Belgaum city was included in the study. A structured questionnaire consisting of 50 questions was prepared. The investigator visited the dental practitioners on the scheduled days and distributed the questionnaires to the dentists after obtaining their consent. The answered questionnaires were collected, compiled and the obtained data was subjected to statistical presentation and analysis. Most dentists did not wear eye goggles, did not have any health insurance policy, did not use a rubber dam and considered dentistry more susceptible to HBV, HCV and HIV than other professionals. None of the dentists wore earplugs. Occupational hazards pose a significant risk to dentists. Dentists spend more than half of life their life time in a clinical environment. They should be aware of all these hazards and the ways to prevent them.