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Dentistry |
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Many dental care professionals are at risk
for occupational exposure to a variety of hazardous chemicals and
situations. Being unaware of the potential hazards in the work
environment makes them more vulnerable to injury. The following
references aid in recognizing hazards in the workplace.
Beryllium
Bloodborne Pathogens and Infection Control
Ergonomics
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Health and Wellness. American Dental Association (ADA).
Includes information on its Dental Health and Wellness page on fitness and conditioning, MSDs, ADA/OSHA Alliance and
OSHA Resources, seminar series, and additional literature.
- An Introduction to Ergonomics: Risk Factors, MSDs, Approaches and Interventions. A Report of the Ergonomics and
Disability Support Advisory Committee (EDSAC) to Council on Dental Practice
(CDP), 123 KB
PDF, 26 pages.
- Ergo Tips–Hand Pain. OSHA and the American Dental Association (ADA) Alliance, 153 KB
PDF, 3 pages. Helps dentists, dental hygienists and dental
assistants identify common conditions that cause hand pain and provides
information on how to prevent hand pain. This information sheet is a product
of the OSHA and ADA Alliance.
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Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA)
- Rising, David W., DMD and Bradford C. Bennett,
et. al. "Reports of body pain in a dental student population."
136.1(2005): 81-86.
- Valachi, Bethany, MS, PT, CEAS and Keith Valachi, DDS. "Preventing musculoskeletal disorders in clinical dentistry." 134.12(2003):
1604-1612.
- Valachi, Bethany, MS, PT, CEAS and Keith Valachi, DDS. "Mechanisms leading
to musculoskeletal disorders in dentistry."
134.10(2003): 1344-1350.
- For additional information, see OSHA's Safety and Health
Topics Pages on:
Silica Dust
- What Dental Technicians Need To Know
About Silicosis. New Jersey Department of Health and Senior
Services Occupational Health Surveillance Program, 117 KB
PDF, 2 pages. Provides an informational brochure about the
hazards associated with exposures to silica.
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Silica. OSHA eTool. Assists in determining silica exposure,
obtaining a measure of the silica concentration, and provides
instruction on protective measures.
- For additional information, see OSHA's Safety and Health
Topics Pages on:
Waste Anesthetic Gases
- OSHA
Technical Manual (OTM). OSHA Directive TED 01-00-015 [TED
1-0.15A], (1999, January 20).
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NIOSH Warns: Nitrous Oxide Continues to Threaten Health Care Workers. US Department of Health
and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No.
94-118, (1994, June 14). Provides a brief update of the
hazards of exposure to nitrous oxide, including steps for
prevention. Presents control measures for preventing or greatly reducing exposure to N2O
during the administration of anesthetic gas.
- NIOSH Alert: Controlling Exposures to Nitrous Oxide During
Anesthetic Administration. US Department of Health and Human
Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 94-100, (1994). Concludes that
exposure to N2O causes decreases in mental performance,
audiovisual ability, and manual dexterity and that adverse reproductive effects may also result from chronic exposure to
N2O.
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Analyzing Workplace Exposures Using Direct Reading Instruments and
Video Exposure Monitoring Techniques, Part 2. OSHA, (1992).
Contains case studies describing a variety of
circumstances where the video exposure monitoring techniques
provided useful information not obtainable by integrated sampling.
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Case Study E: Dental Administration of Nitrous Oxide.
Analyzes workplace exposures to
waste nitrous oxide during dental procedures. Although studies
show that scavenging systems significantly reduce N20
concentrations, the systems do not reduce it to the NIOSH
Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) of 25 ppm during the time of
administration. In addition to evaluating the effectiveness of
scavenging systems, this study was also conducted to determine
why exposures exceeded 25 ppm.
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Nitrous Oxide in Workplace Atmospheres (Passive Monitor). OSHA
Inorganic Method 166, (1985, September 15). Describes the sample collection of airborne nitrous
oxide (N2O). There is sufficient concern
to warrant positive steps to control the airborne levels of N2O
in workplaces, such as medical, dental and veterinary facilities.
- For additional information, see OSHA's Safety and Health
Topics Pages on:
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