Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Oct-Dec;10(4):249-55.
doi: 10.4103/1817-1737.167073.

The evaluation of the dust-related occupational respiratory disorders of dental laboratory technicians working in Denizli Province

Belkıs Yurdasal  1 , Nurgül Bozkurt  2 , Ali İhsan Bozkurt  3 , Özlem Yilmaz  1
Affiliations

The evaluation of the dust-related occupational respiratory disorders of dental laboratory technicians working in Denizli Province

Belkıs Yurdasal et al. Ann Thorac Med. 2015 Oct-Dec.

Abstract

Introduction: Dental laboratory technicians (DLTs) get exposed to fibrinogen dusts that are very risky dusts in terms of health. In this study, respiration complaints, pneumoconiosis frequencies and working conditions of the dental technicians in Denizli were investigated.

Methods: All of the registered DLTs working in Denizli were included in the study. A 30-item questionnaire was used to gather data about the participants and their working environments. Then, pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were carried out and standard chest X-rays were taken in order to detect how much the respiratory systems of the workers were affected. Standard chest X-rays were evaluated according to International Labour Organizations classification. Depending on the screening results, technicians who were found to have had pathologies and suspected cases were examined. "High-resolution computerized tomography (HRCT)" was taken from those who were found to have pathology in their chest X-rays and they were evaluated according to the classification of Hering et al.

Results: There are a total of 166 DLTs working in Denizli Province participated in the study. One hundred and forty-three (86.1%) of the participants were male, and 23 of them were female. The mean age of the participants is 33.5 ± 8.1. Average working time of the workers is 16 years. Total exposure time was calculated 36,177 h. Approximately, 56% of workers were smokers. When the working conditions were considered, it was found that 98.8% of laboratories had a ventilation system. Technicians' use of personal protective equipment is low. Participants' often or continuous use of masks, gloves, goggles, and vacuum device was found 69%, 36%, 47%, and 63% respectively while working. About 21.2% of the technicians have respiratory symptoms while 15.2% of them have eye complaints. At the analysis of PFT results, 27.7% restrictive type pulmonary disorder was determined. At the analysis of chest X-rays; 1/0 profusion sub-category was 25.5%, and the large opacity rate was 16.9%. Ten pneumoconiosis cases (6%) were diagnosed after the analysis of the HRCT results. The ratio of pneumoconiosis was found much higher among male technicians, particularly those who have been working for a long time in the profession and those working at the town hospitals and Department of metal leveling.

Discussion: Technicians' use of personal protective tools is not enough and ratio of smoking is rather high. Pneumoconiosis cases clearly show this exposure. It is necessary to adopt comprehensive work health and safety precautions considering the determined risk factors.

Keywords: Dental laboratory technicians; Turkey; pneumoconiosis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Use of some of the protective equipment in the working environment
Figure 2
Figure 2
Some respiratory and eye symptoms of technicians
Figure 3
Figure 3
The prof usion of small opacities of chest X-ray graphies of technicisians
Figure 4
Figure 4
Some radiologic findigs on chest X-ray graphics of technicisians
Figure 5
Figure 5
The final diagnosis of technicians according to HRCT and medical evaluation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. T.C. Ministry of Labor and Social Security: Occupational Health and Safety Workplace Hazard Classification; 26 December, 2012 Official Gazette Number: 28509
    1. Akar CG, Aksoy G, Özmutaf NM, Akar H. An assessment of awareness and self-report about occupatıon-related health problems among dental laboratory technıcıans in Turkey. Nobel Med. 2009;5:27–32.
    1. Ireland AJ, Wilson AA, Blythe L, Johnston NJ, Price R, Sandy JR. Particulate production during orthodontic production laboratory procedures. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2011;21:536–40. - PubMed
    1. Leggat PA, Kedjarune U, Smith DR. Occupational health problems in modern dentistry: A review. Ind Health. 2007;45:611–21. - PubMed
    1. Choudat D. Occupational lung diseases among dental technicians. Tuber Lung Dis. 1994;75:99–104. - PubMed