Noise exposure assessment in a dental school

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Audiology
• Dental Public Health

Background:

• Dental professionals work with various equipment that can generate noise.
• Understanding noise exposure levels is crucial for preventing occupational hearing loss.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess noise exposure levels among dentists, dental assistants, and laboratory technicians.
• To analyze the noise spectra of dental devices and identify peak frequencies.
• To determine if noise exposure in dental settings exceeds occupational safety limits.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted at a university dental school.
• Noise levels were measured using a noise dosimeter adhering to Occupational Safety and Health Administration criteria.
• Noise spectral analysis of dental devices was performed during clinical and laboratory practices.

Main Results:

• Noise spectrum peaks for dental instruments were observed at 1,000, 4,000, and 8,000 Hz.
• Laboratory technicians had the highest impulsive noise exposure (137.1 dBC).
• Dentists and dental assistants in pedodontic clinics showed the highest percent noise dose (4.60 ± 3.59%).
• The noisiest area was the dental laboratory, with 8-hour time-weighted average noise levels ranging from 49.7-58.1 dBA.

Conclusions:

• Noise exposure levels for dental personnel in this study were below established occupational limits.
• The findings suggest a low risk of noise-induced hearing loss among the studied dental professionals.