Abstract: Objective: To understand the occurrence of occupational exposure of dentists in a tertiary stomatological hospital, and to provide effective strategies for improving occupational exposure protection measures. Methods: The occupational exposure registration and follow-up of dentists from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2023 were investigated and analyzed by retrospective investigation. Results: During this period, a total of 379 cases of occupational exposure occurred among dental doctors in the hospital, including 113 cases of doctors in the hospital, 224 cases of interns and 42 cases of students, the incidence rates were 4.47%, 6.44% and 4.39%, respectively. The interns and doctors with less than one year of working experience were the main population of occupational exposure. The cases of occupational exposure in outpatient department, operating room, oral emergency department and inpatient ward were 304, 60, 13 and 2 cases, respectively The top three leading causes before major incidents are: surgical procedures (instrument-related lacerations or punctures), treatment processes (sharp instrument placement on instrument trays causing collisions), and instrument cleaning and storage procedures. Conclusions: It is necessary to strengthen training and improve awareness of identifying high-risk factors such as places where occupational exposure is prone to occur and improperly placed sharp objects, in order to reduce the occurrence of occupational exposure.

Key words: dentist, occupational exposure, medical intern, sharp injury, injection needle