Adverse health reactions in skin, eyes, and respiratory tract among dental personnel in Sweden.
Dental personnel manually handle products that contain monomers. Several studies have documented adverse health effects after exposure to such products. Gloves made of vinyl or latex are easily penetrated by monomers. Ordinary glasses, or visors, do not protect against vapour from polymer products. Dental face masks filter out about 40% of respirable particles. To survey the prevalence of asthma, atopic dermatitis, conjunctivitis, hay fever/rhinitis, and hand eczema among dental personnel, a questionnaire was distributed to all dental teams in Northern Sweden. Referents were researchers, teachers, and secretaries from the same geographical area. The response rate was 76% for dental teams, and 66% for referents. The results show a significantly higher prevalence of conjunctivitis, and atopic dermatitis among dentists, both male and female. Hypersensitivity to dental materials was reported by significantly more dental personnel than by referents.
Lönnroth
E C
EC
Department of Human Work Sciences, Luleå Technical University, Sweden.
Shahnavaz
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003231:Conjunctivitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003727:Dental Auxiliaries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000009:adverse effects; D003815:Dentists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000453:epidemiology; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000453:epidemiology; D004485:Eczema / Q000453:epidemiology; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005135:Eye Protective Devices; D005260:Female; D005932:Gloves, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects; D006229:Hand Dermatoses / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007840:Latex; D008297:Male; D008397:Masks; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010539:Permeability; D011108:Polymers / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry; D015995:Prevalence; D012117:Resins, Synthetic / Q000009:adverse effects; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014753:Vinyl Compounds; D014835:Volatilization
D000393:Air Pollutants; D003764:Dental Materials; D007840:Latex; D011108:Polymers; D012117:Resins, Synthetic; D014753:Vinyl Compounds