ABSTRACT

Objective: To assess the knowledge and attitude of dentists of Rawalpindi and Islamabad towards the use and safety of amalgam, observance of mercury hygiene and amalgam waste management.
Study Design: Cross sectional survey.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at Operative Dentistry Department of AFID Rawalpindi, from 1^st March to 31^th April 2021.
Materials and Methods: An online questionnaire was circulated among 384 private and public hospital dentists of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Final questionnaire consisted of close ended questions related to demographic details, questions regarding the handling and disposal of amalgam and perception of dentists regarding mercury hygiene. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21 and evaluated as frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation. Chi-square test was used to correlate demographic to the responses of the participants to the items of the questionnaire.
Results: Majority of the dentists were doing 5-10 amalgam restorations per week (34.6%) but they didn’t place rubber dam while restoring tooth with amalgam (95.7%). Most of the dentists take no specific measures for storing leftover amalgam (65.4%) and do not periodically monitor mercury vapor (91.5%).
Conclusion: The majority of dentists of Rawalpindi and Islamabad are not following dental mercury hygiene recommendations as there is a significant lack of knowledge regarding mercury hygiene and amalgam waste disposal.

Key Words: Amalgam Waste, Dental Amalgam, Mercury Hygiene.

How to cite this: Imran K, Gondal SMF, Zahra SF, Yousaf A, Mohibullah, Rasheed D . Knowledge and Attitude of Dentists towards the Use and Safety of Amalgam, Observance of Mercury Hygiene and Amalgam Waste Management. Life and Science. 2022; 3(1): 30-34.  doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.220