Occupational Health Problems among Dentists in Croatia

Aim: To assess the health status among dentists in Croatia regarding the symptoms of musculoskeletal, dermatological, sight, hearing and neurological disorders. Methods: The anonymous online survey was conducted among 506 Croatian dentists. Results: It was found that over 78.18 % of the surveyed dentists experienced work related pain in upper back, 76.97 % of them in lower back. Work-related skin problems were reported by 29.29 % of dentists. Vision problems were reported by 46.87 % and hearing problems by 19.03 % of participants. Neurological disorders were reported by 15.76 % of dentists. Conclusion: This study is the first to report on the overall health status of Croatian dentists and, unfortunately, it showed undesirable results. Numerous health hazards, increased professional requirements and limited ergonomics in the work environment of Croatian dental practitioners cause various health disorders, and the prevalence of occupational diseases is very high.