Dental Public Health · MU Sofia

20. Occupational hazards in dental practice and their prevention. Biological factors.

Covers biological occupational hazards in dental practice, caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi, and the exposure sources dental staff face such as blood, saliva, aerosols and sharp instruments. It then takes the main infectious agents, their routes of transmission (airborne, blood-borne, direct and indirect contact), and individual diseases including HIV, tuberculosis, influenza, hepatitis B and C, herpes simplex and childhood infections. Each disease is outlined with its symptoms, needle-stick risk figures, incubation periods where given, and prevention measures.

Inside: 10 sections · 6 flashcards · 3 min

Topic 32 of 38 in the MU Sofia syllabus for Dental Public Health (Dental Medicine, Year 3). The free AceMed note covers it in 10 sections, about 404 words (3 min of reading), with 6 flashcards.

In this note

  1. Occupational Hazards: Biological Factors
  2. Main Infectious Agents
  3. Routes of Transmission
  4. HIV Infection
  5. Tuberculosis (TB)
  6. Influenza
  7. Hepatitis B
  8. Hepatitis C
  9. Herpes Simplex
  10. Childhood Infectious Diseases

Occupational Hazards: Biological Factors

Biological hazards are occupational risks caused by microorganisms: – Bacteria – Viruses – Fungi

Dental personnel are at high risk due to constant exposure to:

Blood – Saliva – Gingival fluid – Aerosols – Sharp instruments – Close patient contact

Main Infectious Agents

Viral infections:

Hepatitis B – Hepatitis C – HIV – Herpes simplex – Influenza Childhood infectious diseases

Bacterial infections:

Tuberculosis – Oral pathogenic bacteria

Fungal infections:

Candida species

Routes of Transmission

Airborne transmission:

Aerosols from turbines – Ultrasonic scalers

Air-water syringes – Respiratory droplets

Blood-borne transmission:

Needle-stick injuries – Scalpel injuries – Bur injuries Contaminated instruments

Direct contact:

Blood – Saliva – Mucous membranes – Skin lesions Indirect contact:

Contaminated instruments – Impressions – Dental unit surfaces – Gloves – Handles – Equipment

HIV Infection

Caused by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

Attacks:

CD4 T-lymphocytes – Macrophages – Dendritic cells Results in:

Immunosuppression – Opportunistic infections – Malignancies Main routes of transmission:

Blood – Sexual contact – Needle injuries

Risk after needle-stick injury:

Approximately 0.2–0.5%

Important fact:

HIV concentration in saliva is very low

Salivary inhibitory glycoproteins further reduce infectivity

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