Needlestick injuries and related occupational accidents with sharp objects in a dental school

Abstract

The aim of this study was to retrospectively summarize all occupational incidents involving sharp objects, including needlestick injuries and scalpel blade cuts, reported among dental personnel and dental students at the University Center for Dental Medicine Basel (UZB) over a 5-year period, from 2019 to 2023. These incidents were documented by the UZB Human Resources Department. The information recorded included the two groups (dental personnel, i.e. dentists and dental assistants; dental students) as well as the gender and age of the person. The annual incidence ranged from five to 15 for dental personnel and from two to five for dental students. The mean incidence over the 5-year period was 4.4%. No statistically significant differences were observed between years (p = 0.48), sexes (p = 0.57), or groups (p = 0.99). The highest pooled annual incidence was observed in 2020 with a value of 5.8%. The highest incidence for dental personnel was 6.4% in 2020 and 6.4% in 2019 for dental students. Given the regular occurrence of sharp injuries, it is necessary to implement additional protective measures to further reduce the incidence of such accidents.