Prevention of occupational sickness in the dentistry area from the Chambo- Riobamba distrit, 2019 period

Abstract

Introduction. Work activity is determined by alterations conditioned by stress, exhaustion or by the positions adopted daily in this context. Objective. To determine the most frequent occupational diseases that occur in dentists in the Chambo-Riobamba District, 2019. Methodology. The field, descriptive, observational and cross-sectional research applied a survey to 53 professionals in the dental area; the resulting data were processed and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) statistical program. Results. The occupational diseases with the highest frequency corresponded to the psychosocial risk classification with 64%, such as emotional irritability, ergonomic risks (62%), carpal tunnel syndrome and chemical risks (58%), and hypersensitivity to latex. These data are related to work organization, time and breaks, excessive and repetitive use of vibrating instruments, forced hand position, and handling of chemical and biological materials. Conclusion. The most frequent occupational diseases in dental professionals of the Chambo-Riobamba District were: emotional irritability, carpal tunnel syndrome and hypersensitivity to glove latex. General area of study: Health. Specific area of study: Occupational health. Type of study: Original article