title: Prevalence of percutaneous exposure incidents amongst dentists in Queensland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Percutaneous exposure incidents (PEI) represent an important occupational health issue in dentistry, and one that can incur severe consequences from blood-borne infections. Given the importance of this topic, we considered it necessary to investigate the distribution and cause of PEI among Queensland dentists.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2004, a self-reporting questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 400 dentists on the register of the Queensland Branch of the Australian Dental Association.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 285 questionnaires (73.1 per cent) were completed and returned. Of the respondents, 73.3 per cent were male and 26.7 per cent female, with a mean age of 45.2 years (SD = 11.9 years). Most were general dentists (89.1 per cent) with the remainder being specialists (10.9 per cent). More than three-quarters (78.5 per cent) reported damaging their gloves at least once during a clinical procedure in the previous 12-month period. Roughly one-quarter (27.7 per cent) had experienced at least one 'sharps' or needlestick injury in the previous 12 months, 16.1 per cent of which involved a contaminated instrument that had been previously used on a patient. The most common devices to cause 'sharps' injury in the previous 12 months were needles (14.4 per cent) and burs (10.2 per cent).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although PEI clearly remains a major occupational health problem for Queensland dentists, the prevalence of needlestick injuries appears to be lower than other studies from developed countries. The identification of needlestick injuries as a common cause of PEI again stresses the importance of preventive strategies with respect to potential blood-borne infections. Further research is now needed to more carefully identify effective measures for reducing PEI among dental personnel.
authors.affiliation: Anton Breinl Centre for Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland. Peter.Leggat@jcu.edu.au
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Leggat
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003815:Dentists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005932:Gloves, Surgical; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires