Occupational skin exposure and hand eczema among dental technicians-need for improved prevention.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of this study were to estimate occupational skin exposure, the use of skin protection, and the incidence of hand eczema among dental technicians.


METHODS
In a retrospective cohort study, dental technicians (N=2139) and randomly selected population controls (N=2288) received a postal questionnaire on occupational skin exposure, protective glove use, and hand eczema, including the year of onset. The response rate was 57% for the dental technicians and 58% for the controls.


RESULTS
Altogether 80% of the dental technicians reported skin exposure to uncured (meth)acrylates (MA), and 87% had skin contact with grinding dust from MA. Thirty-nine percent used protective gloves when handling uncured MA. Twenty-two percent of the currently employed technicians reported participation in obligatory training concerning the handling of thermosetting plastics, and 58% did not know how long normally used gloves protected the skin against uncured MA. Altogether 48% of the dental technicians and 30% of the controls reported more than 10 hand washings a day (P<0.001). For the dental technicians, the incidence of hand eczema was 8.5 cases/1000 person-years during MA-exposed time. For the controls, the incidence was 3.3. The incidence rate ratio for the men was 3.6 (95% CI 2.3-5.6), and for the women it was 2.4 (95% CI 1.7-3.3).


CONCLUSIONS
The work of dental technicians involves frequent and unprotected exposure to MA and frequent hand washings. Dental technicians have twice the risk of hand eczema than the general population. Efforts to improve skin protection and increase participation in obligatory training about handling thermosetting plastics are important.
Meding
Birgitta
B
Occupational Dermatology, National Institute for Working Life, SE-113 91 Stockholm, Sweden. birgitta.meding@niwl.se
Wrangsjö
Karin
K
Hosseiny
Seiran
S
Andersson
Eva
E
Hagberg
Stig
S
Torén
Kjell
K
Wass
Kristina
K
Brisman
Jonas
J
D003800:Dental Technicians; D004485:Eczema / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D017575:Gloves, Protective; D006225:Hand / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology