[Prevalence of occupational exposures to potentially infectious materials among dentists and dental assistants].

Dentists and dental assistants work in conditions that favor the occurrence of occupational exposures to potentially infectious materials. The aims of this study are: to determine the prevalence of occupational exposures throughout professional life and in the previous year, to identify the circumstances of exposures, and to verify if there exists a relationship between their occurrence and the use of personal protective equipment. 289 dentists and 104 dental assistants from the city of Florianópolis, Brazil, participated in this study. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires. The prevalence of occupational exposures throughout professional life was higher among dentists (94.5%) than dental assistants (80.8%), while in the previous year it was similar between dentists (39.1%) and assistants (39.4%). However, considering the exposures in the previous year, percutaneous injuries were more frequent among assistants (95.2%) than dentists (60.7%). Consistent use of protective eyewear was statistically associated with less splashes in the eyes in dentists (p = 0,004). Education is recommended to reduce the frequency of occupational exposures in the study population.