Skin reactions among Bulgarian dental students: A self-report questionnaire survey

Abstract

Background: Dental students are at high risk of developing adverse skin reactions following practical work during the dentistry degree program. They encounter multiple irritants and allergens that may cause skin reactions on exposed parts of the body, notably the hands.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of skin reactions related to the pre-clinical and clinical training courses of the dentistry program and associated risk factors in Bulgarian dental students.

Method: A cross-sectional study was performed using a self-report questionnaire.

Results: A total of 467 dental students completed the questionnaire (response 51.8%). The prevalence of self-reported skin symptoms was 21.2%. According to logistic regression analysis, the most important risk factors for work-related skin symptoms were a personal history of atopic dermatitis (odds ratio [OR] 3.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.99-7.72), allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and/or asthma (OR 1.94, 95%CI: 1.03-3.68), personal history of contact allergy (OR 2.19, 95%CI: 1.06-4.55), and hand washing >16 times a day (OR 2.42, 95%CI: 1.06-5.52).

Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that work-related skin symptoms are frequent among dental students and indicate the need to establish effective primary preventive programs for occupational skin disorders at a national level.

Keywords: atopy; dental students; hand washing; skin complaints.