الفهرس 
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Abstract
Despite the numerous technical advances in recent years, many occupational health hazards still persist in dentistry. These hazards may be biological, chemical, radiological, physical and psychological. Identification of workplace hazards is required to establish and maintain a safe and healthy working environment. It also necessitates the placement of various coping strategies to solve everyday problems, demands and conflicts
The present study aimed at providing the Faculty of Dentistry and the Ministry of Health with valid and reliable data that spotlight the most prevalent occupational hazards among Ministry of Health dentists, in Alexandria, and their practice of the different coping strategies.
After obtaining the approval of both the Dental Research Ethics Committee at the Faculty of Dentistry, Alexandria University, and the Alexandria Directorate of Health Affairs, a total of 750 dentists were approached at the different MOH facilities. Participants were asked to answer a self-administered questionnaire constructed by the researcher and based on intense literature review. Data collection took about seven months; specifically from April 1st to October 31st, 2016; and the response rate was as high as 83.33%.
Results revealed that the most prevalent occupational hazard among MOH dentists in Alexandria was psychological hazards (85.9%) followed by WMSDs (85.6%), where almost all of the study participants viewed dentistry as a stressful profession. It also revealed deficiencies in dentists’ practice of coping strategies regarding using all PPE (50.3%), wearing lead apron (15.58%), practicing sports and relaxation exercises (22.5%) as well as performing regular medical check-ups (19.2%).
The current study reflects the need for tackling the various types of occupational hazards encountered in dental practice and raising dentists’ awareness towards the importance of coping strategies in order to reduce the hazards’ effects and improve the dentists’ quality of life.