Awareness and practice of Kerman dentists about B - hepatitis, 2004

Many research studies regarding dental occupational dangers were performed and conflicted results have been obtained. The aim of this study was to determine the awareness and practice of active dentists practicing in their offices in Kerman city. Methods & Materials: The present study was a descriptive and cross-sectional one. A questionnaire was prepared, which after determining the validity and reliability was distributed among 140 dentists. One hundred and three dentists participated in this study. Data was analyzed by SPSS software. Results showed that dentists had good awareness about hepatitis B (HBV). Mean score of awareness was 5.44 (out of 7). Seventy-eight percent of all awareness questions were answered correctly. Regarding dental practice, 90.2% had complete vaccination against HBV, however, antibody titer measurement was performed by only 43.9% of them. Meanwhile, dentists who had more than 40 years old and 10 years experience of dental practice and more than 30 hours practice per week had better practice regarding antibody titer measurement (p<0.05). General practitioners had more complete vaccination against HBV than specialists in dentistry (p<0.05). This study showed that the knowledge of dentists was good. Older dentists had better practice and general practitioners had better vaccination in comparison with dental specialists. Keywords: