[Results of a questionnaire survey of pulmonary complaints of dental technicians: effect of the duration of occupational activity (total exposure time)].
With the aid of a questionnaire survey conducted among 3,415 dental laboratories in Hesse and North Rhine Westphalia, the incidence of pulmonary symptoms among dental technicians, and their relationship to dust (exposure time: ET) was established. A total of 5,100 questionnaires were evaluable. The median age of the participants was 29 years, the ET 8 years. A total of 49.1% smoked cigarettes, 15.8% were ex-smokers, and 38% non-smokers.


METHODS
33.9% had unproductive cough, 25.4% experienced dyspnoea on effort, 18.9% had a productive cough, 5.7% episodic apnoea, 5.2% apnoea with audible wheezing, 3.6% apnoea at rest. In order to eliminate the "overlapping" influence of smoking habits, age and sex, in a matched-pair analysis, a comparison of short exposure time groups (SET: ET less than 5 years), and long exposure time groups (LET: ET greater than or equal to 5 years) was made for each symptom. The median ET for all SET was 3 (range: 0-4); for all LET 10 (range: 5-40) years. The frequency of the symptoms was generally greater in the LET group than in the sET group. Statistically significant differences were found for unproductive cough, productive cough, apnoea of effort, and episodic dyspnoea. No differences were found for apnoea at rest and dyspnoea with audible wheezing. Since such confounding factors as sex, age and smoking habits were excluded, our results point to a causal relationship between the pulmonary symptoms of dental technicians and occupational exposure to dust in the dental laboratory. These results are supported by the results of clinical and radiological study.
Kronenberger
H
H
Abteilung für Pneumologie, Zentrum der Inneren Medizin, Klinikum der J. W. Goethe-Universität Frankfurt.
Schröter
U
U
Meier-Sydow
J
J
D000328:Adult; D003800:Dental Technicians; D004391:Dust / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011009:Pneumoconiosis / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects
D004391:Dust
Ergebnisse einer Fragebogenerhebung zu pulmonalen Beschwerden von Zahntechnikern: Einfluss der beruflichen Tätigkeitsdauer (Gesamt-Expositionszeit).