ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Respiratory morbidity in a population of French dental technicians

S Radi¹, J C Dalphin², P Manzoni³, D Pernet², M P Leboube¹ and J F Viel⁴

¹ Association Comtoise Interprofessionnelle de Médecine du Travail, 5 A rue Victor Sellier, 25041 Besançon Cedex, France
² Department of Respiratory Disease, University Hospital, Boulevard Fleming, 25030 Besançon Cedex, France
³ Department of Radiology C, University Hospital, Place Saint Jacques, 25030 Besançon Cedex, France
⁴ Department of Public Health, Biostatistics and Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Place Saint Jacques, 25030 Besançon Cedex, France

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr S Radi, Centre de Médecine du Travail de l'Artisanat de la Haute-Garonne, 30 rue de l'Etoile, 31000 Toulouse, France;
samiaradi{at}aol.com

Aims: To compare wage earner dental technicians with non-exposed salaried subjects for the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and function, and chest x ray abnormalities.

Methods: A total of 134 dental technicians and 131 non-exposed subjects participated. A medical and an occupational questionnaire were filled in to evaluate the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and occupational exposures. Subjects underwent respiratory tests and chest x ray examination.

Results: Mean age of the dental technicians was 36.6 years with a mean duration of dental work of 16.5 years. There was a significant risk of cough (day and night) and usual phlegm in dental technicians. Respiratory function parameters were lower in dental technicians with a significant difference between exposed and non-exposed groups for % FVC (forced vital capacity), % FEF₂₅ (forced mid expiratory flow), and % FEF₅₀. The prevalence of small opacities increased with age. Small opacities were significantly related to an exposure to asbestos in the past.

Conclusions: Our young population of dental technicians is at risk of respiratory morbidity. They should benefit from adequate technical prevention measures.

Keywords: dental technician; respiratory morbidity; pneumoconiosis

Abbreviations: ECSC, European Community for Steel and Coal; FEF, forced mid expiratory flow; FEV, forced expiratory volume; FVC, forced vital capacity; ILO, International Labour Office

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Torbica, N, Krstev, S (2006). World at work: Dental laboratory technicians. Occup. Environ. Med. 63: 145-148 [Full Text]