Ocular Injuries and Eye Safety Practices in Dental Settings: A Scoping Review
Roma Mascarenhas, Shushma Rao, Kundabala Mala, Shashi U. Rashmi, Prajval MahajanIntroduction
Aerosols, chemicals, curing lights, dental therapeutic lasers and microbiological pollutants in dental clinics can cause eye infections and impair clinicians, patients and auxiliary vision. This scoping review explored the existing evidence on dental‐related ocular injuries.
Objective
This scoping review aimed to map the evidence on various ocular injuries arising from dental procedures.
Methods
Only published data were searched in PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL (Ebsco) and Embase (Elsevier). English‐language literary data was collected from 2005 to the present. Studies conducted on all patients and dentists, and dental personnel directly involved in dental treatments, working at dental clinics and dental hospitals, were included. The front‐desk employee and non‐direct dental personnel/non‐operating auxiliaries were exempted. Systemic disease‐related and allergic ocular injuries were excluded. Data were imported into Rayyan for critical analysis. Two independent reviewers thoroughly scanned and analysed the selected references for inclusion criteria. A third reviewer was included to resolve article eligibility disputes between the two reviewers. A PRISMA flow diagram and narrative summary were presented to represent the collected data. Data on ocular injuries at the dental set‐up were summarised and explained.
Results
Database search retrieved 49 complete articles. After complete screening, only 8 full articles were included that met the inclusion criteria. The results were obtained from original studies and case reports. Six main themes had emerged from thematic content analysis.
Conclusions
The conclusions of this scoping review will increase awareness among dental clinicians and personnel regarding ocular injuries and support the implementation of appropriate precautionary measures.