Sir, I welcome the article by Farrier et al.1 as it is a reminder of the importance of eye protection in dental practice. However, a similar paper was published in the BDJ by my brother (an ophthalmic surgeon) and sister-in-law (a dentist) in 1991,2 which is not referenced by the authors. This is a pity because although published some years ago there are striking similarities between the two papers. Of course there is nothing wrong with this as similar studies add to the weight of scientific evidence, but a comparison of the two papers would have been useful because sadly, in the 15 years between the publications, there has been little improvement in either the level of eye protection, or in the incidence of ocular injuries within the dental team.
References
Farrier SL, Farrier JN, Gilmour ASM . Eye safety in operative dentistry — A study in general dental practice. Br Dent J 2006; 200: 218–223.
Roberts-Harry TJ, Cass AE, Jagger JD . Ocular injury and infection in dental practice. A survey and a review of the literature. Br Dent J 1991; 170: 20–22.
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Roberts-Harry, D. Unseen evidence. Br Dent J 200, 418 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4813531
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4813531