Self-reported needlestick injuries in dental health care workers at Armed Forces Hospital Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The objective of the present study was to assess the incidence of sharps/needlestick injuries among dental health care workers (DHCWs) at Armed Forces Hospital Riyadh. A questionnaire was distributed among all dental staff, including dentists, hygienists, and dental surgery assistants. Results show that 65 individuals (58%) had sharps/needlestick injuries, and of these, more than half did not report these injuries to the appropriate department. At the time of injury, the majority of the DHCWs were vaccinated or immune, but a few of them were not vaccinated against hepatitis B virus. This study concludes that every DHCW should be immunized against hepatitis B virus to avoid cross-infection from sharps/needlestick injuries, which are quite common in a dental practice. The high frequency of these injuries could be reduced by simple interventions.