Occupational health and safety of dental personnel in Korea

Sung, Jimin; Shin, Hosung; Kim, Bo-Ra

doi:2022.60.11.727

J Korean Dent Assoc > Volume 60(11); 2022 > Article

The Journal of The Korean Dental Association 2022;60(11):727-741.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22974/jkda.2022.60.11.005 Published online October 31, 2022.

Occupational health and safety of dental personnel in Korea

Jimin Sung¹

, Hosung Shin²

, Bo-Ra Kim³

¹Wonkwang University School of Dentistry, Iksan, South Korea
²Department of Social and Humanity in Dentistry, Wonkwang University School of Dentistry, Iksan, South Korea
³Department of Dental Hygiene, Namseoul University, Cheonan, South Korea

Correspondence: Bo-Ra Kim, Tel: +82-10-9474-0563,
Email: violetbo@naver.com

Received: 11 October 2022 • Revised: 13 October 2022 • Accepted: 24 October 2022

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate occupational risk among dental practitioners and its associated factors. Ma- terials and Methods. A total of 505 dentists and other dental staff from Korean dental institutions were included in this study. A self-report questionnaire on demographic characteristics, perception and experience of occupa- tional hazards, the prevalence of chronic diseases, and type of musculoskeletal problems, were distributed to the participants. A logistic regression model was used to identify factors affecting the perception of occupational hazards. Results. Among the participants, 61.58% were dentists and 38.42% were dental staff (dental hygien-ists, dental technologists, and other office workers). Overall, 48.12% had a serious perception of occupational hazards, and 77.53% had experienced occupational hazards. The common occupational hazards encountered were stress (20.58%), exposure to hazardous materials (15.44%), and cross-infections (14.75%). Regardless of participants’ occupation and their perception of occupational hazards, musculoskeletal problems had the high- est prevalence (35.94%) (neck/shoulder pain [35.53%], lower back pain [24.74%], and wrist pain [19.07%]). Those with experience of occupational hazards and musculoskeletal problems were more likely to recognize occupational hazards (odds ratio 5.186 and 1.535, respectively; p<0.05). Conclusion. Approximately half of the dental workers were aware of the risk of occupational hazards. This study highlighted that the more the partici-pants experience occupational hazards, the more likely they are to recognize occupational hazards. The high prevalence of physical and mental occupational hazards indicates the need for preventive measures to reduce occupational risk in dental practices.

Key Words: musculoskeletal disorders; stress; cross-infection; sedentary workstyle; occupational hazards