Dentists' perceptions of occupational hazards and preventive measures in East Jerusalem

Dentists, like other health professionals, are exposed to various occupational health problems, with specific ones of their own. A randomly distributed sample of 40 (42.2%) dentists working in East Jerusalem was interviewed. A questionnaire was used to detect their perception of occupational hazards. Most respondents were aware of biological hazards: 38% specifically mentioned hepatitis B virus and 13% human immunodeficiency virus. Perceived sources of stress included factors that coincided with international data, such as relationships with patients, physical strain and economic pressure, but also some specific to the Palestinian culture such as relationships with other dentists and Israeli occupation tax policy when dealing with the Arab dentists in East Jerusalem. Chemical dependency was not mentioned as a potential hazard.