Comparative Analysis of Eye Safety Knowledge and Practices among Private and Hospital Dental Practitioners in National Capital Region of India: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Dentists are prone to ocular injuries from chemical, physical, or infectious agents. While most dentists wear masks, gloves, and gowns, eye protection continues to be neglected. Thus, this study was undertaken to identify these gaps in awareness and practices of eye safety among dentists. Aim: This study aims to evaluate and compare the knowledge and practices of hospital and private dental practitioners regarding eye protection in clinical practice. Methodology: A questionnaire designed to assess the eye safety knowledge and practices of dentists was validated and mailed to hospital dental practitioners and private dental practitioners (100 each), from the National Capital Region over 6 months. Data collected were subjected to Chi-square analysis for comparing knowledge and practices of the two groups. Results: Dentists were found to be lacking in their practices with 48.5% using eye protection sometimes and 5.5% never using it, although their knowledge however revealed otherwise. Sixty-eight percent of dentists never or rarely used eye protection for their patients. 40.5% dentists had at least one incident of ocular trauma due to inadequate eye protection while 26% had at least 5 such incidents. Conclusion: The study highlights the gaps in the knowledge and practices of dentists regarding eye protection thus, emphasizing the need for creating more awareness, more so in the coronavirus disease of 2019 era, to prevent further transmission of infections.