Clarification of potential factors affecting the occurrence of accidental sharps injuries among students in dental laboratories would likely help to reduce the incidence of such injuries, thus improving dental education, as well as further preventing injury in general healthcare workspaces. In this study, undergraduates at the College of Oral Medicine, Taipei Medical University, were assessed for 10 items: gender, age, course specialty, whether or not framed glasses were worn during operations, speed of assignment completion, dominant hand, self-assessment of performance, whether or not students previewed the classes in advance, sleep duration, and sharps injury experience. The results suggested that course specialty and sleep duration were the major factors associated with the occurrence of sharps injuries among students in the dental laboratory.
Keywords: curriculum; dental laboratory science; education; preventive dentistry; sharps injury; students.