To Assess the Prevalence of Sharp Injuries among the Undergraduates of a Dental Institute: A Cross Sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Sharp injuries are one of the most important areas of concern in the dental field which can lead to exposure to various blood-borne infections. OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of sharp Injuries among undergraduates of a dental institute. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted among the students (Third year, Final year and Interns) of a dental institute using the pretested questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised of demographic details of the participants and open and closed ended questions related to details of sharp injuries encountered during their academic curriculum. RESULTS: The results revealed that scaling followed by needle stick injuries were the most common causes of sharp injuries. However, among those who encountered the sharp injuries only 39.6% had reported the incident. CONCLUSION: Sharp injuries among dental students are common which immediately warrant the need for preventive and control strategies to reduce the risk of infection transmission.