Knowledge and Awareness of Mercury Spill Management Among Dental Students

Abstract

Dental professionals get exposed to mercury as an occupational hazard which is still unaddressed by the public health system in India. Mercury is very toxic to the human nervous system and its exposure leads to adverse health effects when it is exposed for a prolonged time. This study was conducted to assess work practices involving mercury and bring awareness of mercury spill management among dental students. A self-administered questionnaire was prepared to analyze the knowledge and awareness of mercury spill management among dental students and it was circulated through an online platform google forms. The collected data were analysed using SPSS software. The results of the survey showed that about 41% of the respondents were aware of the mercury spill management, 59% of the students performed amalgam restoration, 39% of the respondents were using mercury spill kit to avoid mercury exposure. Most of the students participated in the survey were not aware of the corrosiveness of mercury. The Pearson chi square analysis showed that the majority of the first and second-year students and all the intern students were aware of mercury spill management. The knowledge and awareness among dental students on mercury spill management is moderate. Hence, awareness should be created at the primary level for the students from the initial years of dentistry.