Effects of mixology courses and blood lead levels on dental caries among students.
OBJECTIVE
Dental caries can be affected by alcohol consumption. Alcohol consumption also increases blood lead levels (BLLs) in humans and BLLs have been correlated with caries. Culinary students participate in mixology courses on either an elective or a mandatory basis. Therefore, we conducted this study to elucidate the effects of mixology courses and elevated BLLs on dental caries among students.


METHODS
This study had a cross-sectional design. We recruited first-year at one hospitality college and one university in southern Taiwan in September 2004. We applied a questionnaire, collected a blood specimen and performed a dental caries examination for each student. The subjects comprised 133 students who had ever participated in a mixology course (≥2 credits) during high school (exposure group) and 160 who had not participated in such a course (control group).


RESULTS
Compared with the control group, the exposure group had a higher prevalence of a DMFT index ≥ 0 (92.5% versus 81.2%, P = 0.005), a higher DMFT index [5.59 ± 3.53 (mean ± SD) versus 4.21 ± 3.64 teeth, P ≤ 0.001], and a higher BLL (3.12 ± 1.02 versus 2.67 ± 0.83 μg/dl, P = ≤ 0.001). After adjustment for potential confounders, dental caries was significantly associated with participation in a mixology course.


CONCLUSIONS
Alcohol exposure associated with participation in a mixology course may have an effect on caries in students. These findings suggest that occupational safety and health education should be applied to students participating in mixology courses.
Chang
Wei-Hsiang
WH
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan Graduate Institute of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan Institute of Environmental Health, College of Public Health, China Medical University and Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan School of Dentistry, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan Department of Baking Technology and Management, Kaoshiung Culinary College, Kaohsiung, Taiwan Faculty of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Yang
Ya-Hui
YH
Liou
Saou-Hsing
SH
Liu
Ching-Wen
CW
Chen
Chiu-Ying
CY
Fuh
Lih-Jyh
LJ
Huang
Shih-Li
SL
Yang
Chun-Yuh
CY
Wu
Trong-Neng
TN
D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D007854:Lead