Chronic occupational exposure to lead and its impact on oral health

Chronic Lead exposure favours the formation of cheilitis, fissures, ulcers and epithelial desquamation of the tongue, palate and other parts of the oral mucous membranes. The tissues of oral cavity may be affected by toxic agents either by direct action as in exposure to sulfuric acid fumes or through systemic exposure as in poisoning with heavy metals e.g. lead.. The Present study aimed to investigate the oral health condition of industrial workers exposed to lead in Alexandria governorate. The samples included all workers chronically exposed to lead fumes or dust in a storage battery plant (400 workers) and working in seven departments where lead exposure was present. These departments were evaluated environmentally for lead in air and their workers for lead in blood. Oral medical examinations were carried out according to the items of WHO sheet designed for oral health survey with some modifications. Results of the present study revealed that chronic exposure to lead significantly affects oral health condition among exposed workers and strongly correlates with increasing level of blood lead among them. It can be concluded that the most common adverse effects of lead on dental health of exposed workers were the significant increase in the prevalence of periodontal diseases (gingivitis and periodontitis expressed as PI) and in the prevalence of decay (caries), missed and filled teeth (expressed as DMFT index) and dental abrasions. Moreover,these findings were found to be related to lead concentration in air in the studied departments and to blood lead level. On the other hand, exposure to lead was found to have insignificant effect on calculus formation (expressed as CI-S) or oral debris (expressed as (DI-S)or both together expressed as (OHI-S).