[Needlestick injury in dentistry]

ABSTRACT

Health care workers including dentists, dental students and nurses may be at the risk of occupational exposure to blood borne pathogens such as HIV and hepatitis B and C via needlestick injuries [NSIs]. The prevalence rate of NSI has been reported between 22 to 83% in different studies. The reports show an increase in NSI prevalence around the world during 1990 to 1999. Mean NSIs for a dentist with 3000 invasive operations per year is about 37%. The exact number of NSIs around the world is not known because many health care workers do not report this problem. In this paper written for health care workers, NSI and appropriate strategies applied in facing this problem have been discussed