Although modern dentistry has been described as probably among the least hazardous of all occupations, many risks remain in dental practice which continue to challenge this status. These include percutaneous exposure incidents (PEI), exposure to infectious agents including bio aerosols, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), eye injuries, vibration induced neuropathy, exposure to radiation, noise and dental materials and psychological conditions. When such risks cannot be engineered out of the dental clinic, appropriate occupational health and safety measures need to be adopted by dental staff and dental students. The current paper reviews studies relating to occupational hazards and occupational health problems in dental practice, updating a previous literature review.
DEFINITION OF OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD
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Methods An extensive literature review was conducted which included articles published in peer reviewed journals and pub med indexed journals relating to occupational hazards in dentistry. Only articles of English language were included. The review itself began with the search of the relevant Medical Subject Headings such “occupational hazards”, “musculoskeletal disorders”, “dentists” in Pub Med, the official literature search engine of the National Library of Medicine in United States. The focus of the present review would be the occupational hazards in dentistry and the occupational health problems of dentists.
Occupational Hazards in Dentistry Professionals in dentistry are exposed to many occupational hazards; their effects appear as ailments that affect the dental practitioner and tend to intensify with age.2 Although identification of the risks to orthodontists and other dental professionals has been explored in several studies but the level of awareness of potential health risks for operators is very low in developing countries like in
Health Risks As you may expect, quite a bit of a dental hygienist's occupation requires working with individuals' mouths, and it's possible that you will come into contact with a patient who has terrible breath, swollen gums or tooth decay. Dental hygienists have close contact with patients when performing essential cleaning and dental check-ups. Being in such close-quarter scenarios hygienists may potentially get sick and get infectious disease that is carried by patients. You do ordinarily wear goggles and gloves to minimize the dangers, however these precaution measure aren't 100 percent good or effective.
Dentists will diagnose and treat problems that occur in the mouths, teeth, and gums of the patients they oversee. Some of these treatments include filling cavities, removing decay from teeth, straightening teeth, place sealants, give whitening treatments, write prescriptions, examine x-rays, and administer anesthetics during procedures. They also counsel each individual on how to maintain good oral hygiene and base their diet around their teeth. Some dentists may also make models and take measurements of oral appliances such as dentures and retainers. To become a dentist, you must obtain a Bachelor's degree and then enter a dental school.
To Accomplish Great Things To Help Ohers “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe,” (France). Stephanie Galindo is a hard working women who first picked to be a physical therapist studying and working at a nursing home thinking she was going to stay there till she finished school. During the months working there, a young girl about 8 years old visited her grandmother. As she started talking to Stephanie she asked why she did that and what got her thinking about being a physical therapist. She then told the young girl she didn’t want to be a physical therapist but a dental hygienist just for the fact of seeing people happy.
The University of Michigan 's Dental Hygiene program is one that can grant me numerous and life-changing opportunities that I cannot attain at any other university. Their Dental hygiene program is the best of the best, providing me with the education and training necessary to become the most efficient dental hygienist I can be. The Dental Hygiene degree program, unlike any other, offers students an extensive variety of patient experiences, such as hands-on experiences in the clinic. The University of Michigan has millions of patient visits every year. Not only are you gaining additional knowledge and experiences as a student, you 're trained by and working side by side with dentists and dental hygiene faculty in the clinic who, in turn, are
Dental Hygienist You know that feeling you have after you get your teeth clean? You feel refreshed and clean. Well dental hygienist feel the same way after they have completed their work for a patient. Dental hygienist feel accomplished and relaxed.
Professional Interview with an Oral Healthcare Products Sales Representative Dental hygiene education opens many doors to those who are seeking job opportunities in the oral health care industry. Most of the dental hygienists employed in dental offices as practicing dental hygienists; however, there are other job opportunities available in alternative settings in the oral health care industry. It is also paramount that dental hygienists advance their education and thrive to achieve professional growth. Besides taking continuing education courses, one can further his or her education by completing Bachelors or Masters degree that are often required in alternative professional settings. With the development of dental hygiene profession, roles
Sue is a dental hygienist, employed in an office with another hygienist. This hygienist has 11 years work experience in this industry. Both Sue and this hygienist shared a good friendship together. However, sue noticed that most of the patients have sub gingival calculus after the other hygienist cleans their teeth. When sue observed careful about how the other hygienist is doing the process, sue could see that she is using an anterior sickle instrument and only scales suprgingvally.
A dental hygienist noticed that one of her patients was having a periodontal disease that was not noted in the chart. She tried to discuss this with a dentist by stating that her patient have a moderately advanced stage of periodontal disease. The probing results showed that some of the patient's periodontal pockets were 6 mm deep. The dentist response was not to worry about the patient and to keep cleaning out the pockets periodically. The dental hygienist did not feel comfortable treating the patient and asked a dentist to excuse her from performing a treatment.
Dental Hygienist or Dental Assistant Are you confused of what you want to be? Many people are confused of what to choose because they worry about many things at once. Some people are too busy with their family and didn't have the chance to become what they wanted. There is a career out there that will get you the training you need in just six-eight months. This career is Dental assistance.
As population goes up, the general health will continue to soar the demands for dental services. Dental Hygienists help patients develop and keep satisfying oral care, they combine together to meet the oral health needs of patients. Dental hygienists are an essential component in the dental world, they provide oral care to a variety of ages, also Indian reservation to the ones in need, and a high paying salary that it is a career most would envy. If wanting a career that impacts people 's overall health, consider a career as a dental hygienist.
Annotated Bibliography Tashina Stoffel, Personal Interview, 3 November 2015 I prepared for my interview by researching questions that would really be essential to my essay. I chose questions that would be easy for her to answer and questions that could be incorporated into my essay. I also asked questions that would be fun for her to answer and that could help influence my decision on the career. I used the answers to the questions to introduce the career.
Relaxed in the dental chair with my dark glasses on, I had been prepped and was ready for my second surgery. My headphones played beautiful, calming classical music. A micro-current patch placed behind each of my ears would help to keep me in a relaxed state. I could taste the remnants of the orange flavored supplements used to promote the relaxation response. My biological dentist and his assistant talked in the background as we waited for the anesthetic to take effect.
Unsafe work practice that can affect the well-being of individuals include: Rough handling, for example pushing, pulling, dragging. Unsafe administration of medication, for example, failure to check dosage. Ignoring health needs and social needs such as clean clothing and personal hygiene. Visible injuries or marks of abuse on body and complaints not taken seriously can put them at more danger, harm and risk of abuse. I will ensure that I keep to all the procedures for checking for abuse and the wellbeing of the individuals that I work with; by following these and the individual’s care plan I keep within the minimum standards of care and also work in a person centred way to make sure all individuals are happy and safe.
Dental assistants support dental specialists or dentists in carrying out dental routine. A dental assistant is not the real dental operator that performs on patients but only an assistant to the licensed dentist. Aspirants of dental assisting career need to attend a dental assisting program at either college or tech school so as to acquire a diploma, certificate or degree. The duration of the program depends on the type of certification targeted. The program comprises both theory and practical.
Being a Dental Assistant Dental Assistants can help change a person’s life in many ways. Dental assistants provide their patients a way to stay healthy within oral activities while also providing general happiness to a patient. Assistants work hand in hand with a dental hygienist observing, supporting, and caring for the patients need, whenever they need them. They work with tools, sit and stand long periods per day, and work in one of the dirtiest places on the human body, the mouth (Summary). Dental Assistants practice safety measures, just like any other doctor would, to assure the safety of themselves, along with the safety of their patients and organs that are being worked on from infectious diseases.