Knowledge and awareness of needle sticks and other sharp injuries among dental undergraduate students.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of NSIs among dental students
Evaluate the knowledge and awareness about blood borne infections, post exposure prophylaxis and protocol for reporting the incident to concerned authorities.
Methods: METHODOLOGY:
Sample size: A population of 150 dental students and trainees working at Armed Forces Institute Of Dentistry (AFID) and Margalla Institute of Health Sciences (MIHS) was given a questionnaire asking about;
Incidences of NSIs during their training years.
Immediate measures taken by them following exposure
Whether the incidents were reported or not
Whether or not (who has a previous accidental exposure) helped them in taking universal precautions or safety measures seriously?
Inclusion criteria:
Those who were willing to participate in the study
Undergraduate dental students and trainees
Exclusion criteria:
Those who were not willing
Other then dental students
Study design: Descriptive study based on a standard questionnaire.

Results: Of 150 dental students and trainees that responded to the questionnaire (response rate 92%), 28% were males and 72% were females. Recapping a needle, administrating local anesthesia and performing scaling and polishing procedures were the most important causes of NSIs among dental students and trainees (70%).
Conclusions: The findings conclude that dental students and trainees experience NSIs but are not likely to repost them, thus it is important that the principles of infection control training and reporting of NSIs continue to be emphasized throughout dental education.