Work-related behavioral and dental risk factors among confectionery workers

The dietary habits and dental health behavior of 294 employees in a Finnish confectionery company were studied to determine the reasons for their dental caries experience and their caries-promoting salivary microbiological findings. A diary and a questionnaire were used. A caries risk index was constructed for salivary microbiological findings. Daily dietary acidogenic exposures were calculated, and differences between low and high caries-risk groups were analyzed. Statistically significant differences in dietary habits between the low- and high-risk groups were found for the entire study population and for the men, the cookie markers, and the sweets makers. A significant positive correlation was found between untreated caries and the number of sugary meals. No differences were found in dental health behavior or dental knowledge between the study groups. The results show that the nature of between-meal snacks and confectionery workers' freedom to consume their products constitutes a potential hazard to dental health.