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Noise levels in dental school clinics
The New Zealand Dental Journal
|October 1, 2014
Summary
Dental student clinics may exceed occupational noise guidelines. While intermittent, noise levels during procedures reached up to 98 dB (A), surpassing recommended limits for prolonged exposure.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Dental Public Health
- Acoustics
Background:
- Prolonged noise exposure is an understudied occupational risk in dentistry.
- Anecdotal evidence suggests dental student clinics may exceed established noise level guidelines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify noise levels within dental student clinics.
- To assess if these noise levels surpass current occupational guidelines.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a decibel meter to record noise levels before and during clinical sessions.
- Documented the types of dental procedures performed during measurements.
Main Results:
- Measured background noise levels ranged from 50.2 to 77.6 dB (A) (mean 60.8 dB (A)).
- Activity noise levels ranged from 51.4 to 98.0 dB (A) (mean 70.5 dB (A)).
- One clinic (4SW) exhibited significantly higher noise levels than others.
Conclusions:
- Noise levels in the Otago School of Dentistry clinics exceed New Zealand's Occupational Health and Safety guidelines.
- The elevated noise exposures were found to be intermittent, not continuous.
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