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Work Hazard
Work Hazard
segment, with consequences and dangers for your health. Through preventive measures, the dental clinic is
obliged to provide employees with all the necessary resources to minimize the effects of these casualties
inherent to the profession.
Legislation on safety and health at work establishes that every professional and entrepreneur is responsible for
his own integrity and that of his employees. The dentist must be aware of the importance of ensuring his own
safety, that of the patient and his team.
The purpose of this article is to make dental clinic employees aware of the illnesses and accidents inherent in
their work and offer some guidelines aimed at avoiding their occurrence as much as possible.
Physical hazards
They are those that arise due to the use of the clinic's facilities and equipment, such as falls on the same or at
different levels, damage caused by instruments and devices or electrical risks.
In order to prevent accidents, it is necessary to maintain a good organization and cleanliness of the clinic's
furniture and objects, as well as to have adequate signage for the different work areas, indicating through spaces
of warning signs the spaces or areas of greatest risk.
Likewise, it is essential to work at an adequate work pace, which allows the employee to pay attention to each of
the tasks performed.
To avoid electrical accidents, it is necessary to restrict the continued use of devices that can lead to electrical
overloads, and to activate the drills directly inside the patient's mouth, never outside.
Other physical risks to which dental professionals are exposed due to the use of dental clinic equipment are:
- Ionizing radiation: derived from the use of X-ray devices. Specific programs for safety and protection against
radiation must be defined.
- Environmental noise: damage to the ears can result from constant exposure to the sound of rotating material.
To minimize this risk, it is advisable to have soundproof walls and use ear plugs.
- Risk of using a laser: this instrument can cause eye damage. Surgical lasers also release gases containing
carcinogens. Prevention consists of using masks specially indicated for the use of the laser, as well as avoiding
the aspiration of toxic fumes.
- Light: the photopolymerizers emit a visible blue light. Its main danger is photoretinitis, an irreversible damage to
the retina, caused by constant work with this tool. To avoid damage, it is especially important to wear eye
protection and not to look directly into the light.
- Foreign bodies in the eyes: in the dental office it is likely that the impact of a foreign body in the eyes, such as
resin or amalgam, may occur if adequate eye protection is not used during the working day.
Chemical hazards
In the dental office, there are many chemicals hazardous to health that can cause damage by direct action or
indirect sensitization.
Among them are antiseptics, anesthetics or mercury. The dangers to which the worker is exposed are burns,
dermatitis, asthma and brain, respiratory or kidney injuries, among others. It is important that dentists use the
necessary protection for the use of these products, in addition to verifying that they have adequate labeling and
composition.
The most effective safety measure is ventilation, as it reduces the concentration levels in the air. It is also
necessary to limit working hours with dangerous products.
Another preventive measure is the use of powder-free latex gloves, to minimize the number of particles that are
aspirated and that can constitute a health hazard.
Biological hazards
Dental professionals are in contact with blood and potentially infectious organic fluids, capable of transmitting
bacteria, viruses and fungi, eventually giving rise to a cross infection.
In the dental profession it is common to make excessive efforts at the physical and mental level, as a result of
long hours of work and decision-making that affect people's health.
Using several devices and maintaining the same position for hours can cause inflammation, pain and
contractures in the back, upper limbs, hands and wrists.
To avoid these damages, it is necessary to perform muscle stretches specially indicated for dental professionals,
to have a suitable dental chair and to respect the rest times.
A correct working posture allows the specialist to keep the feet flat on the floor, with the arms close to the body,
the forearms flexed and aligned with the hands and a straight line view, without the need for any twisting of the
neck.
The great responsibility of the profession makes many employees of dental clinics feel anxiety, stress, headache,
digestive disorders or depression, among other damages.
To avoid these work risks, it is necessary to have rest periods between the care of each patient and to organize
daily activities in the clinic to avoid overly repetitive tasks.
At the social level, cooperation between colleagues and a good working environment are key factors.
On a personal level, following a balanced diet and exercising regularly helps to avoid and better cope with work
overloads.