Table 3.

Recommendations for dental training

Main theme	Sub-themes	Description	Quotation/supporting evidence
Recommendations for dental training and curriculum content	Recommendations for curriculum	Participants added what they thought should be included in dental training	“Yes, so I think for me, the first step would be to get an idea of exactly how these working environments are set up. So, to have an understanding of how these working activities work, so we call that at-risk assessment. So that’s for a person who is going into a ready-made practice. But for someone who’s starting out, I’d certainly like them to have training in how to set up the optimal work environment. So, you make sure upfront that there will be no issues. For example, if you’re going to be mixing amalgam, you make sure it is done in a separate area that is adequately ventilated. If you are using noxious gases, you use it under controlled conditions. Either you have protection, if the levels are low or some extractive ventilation. So, the first step is understanding, or redesigning the work environment or designing it in a way that these are taken into consideration. It’s far better to build from scratch, bearing this in mind, than trying to fit the work to the premises. It requires more money etc. so that’s the first step. I would like dental professionals to get a sense of the risks in what they do and what health outcomes are associated with these risks are. If they can understand those three concepts—risk assessment, specific risks and broad health outcomes—they would have a better understanding of how these can be addressed” (interview one-occupational health specialist)
	Recommendations for clinical practice	Should occupational health be a stand-alone module or incorporated into existing modules?	“I think it should be a module on its own—occupational hazards. Like 10 or 20 sessions and in each session, talk about a hazard” (focus group 1, participant 3) “Firstly, I do not think there is a need for a module that is stand-alone because it is going to be based on everything else where the student will want to pass that module” (focus group 2, participant 5) “So sitting position is important and I would add to that some back exercises lower back exercises, the back to me is very important.” (focus group 4, participant 5)