Reducing accidents and injuries in the dental environment

This article has dealt with the dental office and potentially hazardous situations that could result in injury or death from electrical, gas, chemical, or mechanical accidents. Industry spends billions of dollars each year on safety considerations for its employees. Many of their safety practices are applicable to the dental office. A safety check list for the dental office is proposed. The dentist must be aware that other possible hazards exist in dental offices including the misuse of ultraviolet light units and ultrasonic scalers. In addition, the dentist must be concerned with unexpected traumas such as interstitial air emphysema, the aspiration or swallowing of instruments, appliances and restorations and self-inflicted puncture wounds.