Biomedical Science Letters (대한의생명과학회지)

The Korean Society for Biomedical Laboratory Sciences (대한의생명과학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

The Effect of Workplace Noise on the Hearing Threshold of Dental Technicians

  • Lee, Ju Hee (Department of Dental Laboratory Technology Science, Daejeon Health Sciences College) ;
  • Lee, Hye Ran (Department of Physiology, Catholic University of Korea St. Vincent's Hospital) ;
  • Lee, Og Kyoung (Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Daejeon Health Sciences College)
  • Received : 2014.09.17
  • Accepted : 2014.12.17
  • Published : 2014.12.31
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate hypoacusis due to workplace noise among dental technicians. Pure tone audiometry, impedance audiometry and heart rate variability were measured for 60 dental technicians and office workers in D city from July to November 2013, and a survey on the effects of noise was conducted. SPSS 19.0 was used for statistical analysis. In the result for threshold of pure tone audiometry, the average hearing threshold of left ears in the air conduction (AC) test showed a statistically significant decrease (P=0.019) among dental technicians, who are frequently exposed to workplace noise. The hearing threshold in the AC test for each frequency was significantly different between the two groups at 125 Hz (P=0.012) in right ears and at 1 kHz (P=0.022), 2 kHz (P=0.040), and 8 kHz (P=0.018) in left ears. Dental technicians who had worked for 16 years or longer had a significantly higher incidence of hypoacusis in the right ear (P=0.030) and in the left ear (P=0.010). In impedance audiometry showed a tympanometry result of type A in both the dental technician group and the office worker group.

Keywords

References

  1. Dogan DO, Ozdemir AK, Polat NT, Dal U, Gumus C, Akkurt I. Prevalence of hearing loss on dental laboratory technicians exposed to noise. The Anatolian Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2008. 2: 113-117.
  2. Hong YH. Evaluation of work environment and occupational exposure to dental technicians, Department of Public Health The Graduate School. Catholic University of Daegu. 2011. 1-3: 107.
  3. Im BC, Min GJ. A Study on the occupational diseases of the dental technicians and the related factors in Korea. Korean Society for Health Education and Promotion. 2001. 18: 41-156.
  4. Kim JS. Noise exposure assessment and noise reduction efficiency comparison according to improvement in a petrochemical plant. Unpublished Master's Thesis. University of Catholic University Deagu. 2008. 6-8.
  5. Kim KS. Distribution of hearing thresholds and hearing loss among noise-exposed workers. Communication Sciences and Disorders. 2006. 11: 106-121.
  6. Kim NJ, Kwon JK, Lee JH. The impact of noise Expose on the hearing threshold extended high frequency. Korean J Occup Environ Med. 2008. 20: 81-92.
  7. Kim WT. Hearing asymmetry among occupationally noise-exposed workers, a Master's degree of Dept. Science in Medicine of Inje University. 2004. 1-3.
  8. Kwon HJ. A Study on a Self hearing test to prevent noise induced hearing loss. Master's degree of Dept. of Information & Telecommunication Graduate School Soongsil University. 2009. 50.
  9. Lee GT. Study on the trends and problems of noise measuring and rating method. Theses Collection of The Institute of Advanced Materials. 1997. June: 225-255.
  10. Ministry of Labor 2008. Employees health examination results (Issue Brief No. 11-1490000- 000066-10). Seoul: Author. January 2010.
  11. Nam SY, Cho SY. A study on the noise by working process in dental laboratory. J Kor Env Hygi Sci. 1992. 2: 97-107.
  12. Rye SH, Kwon YJ, Lee SJ, Song JC. A Study on noise induced hearing loss of employees working for Seoul metropolitan subway cooperation. The KJAsEM. 2001. 11: 37-44.
  13. Shin DY. The relation between the present status of a noise within the dental laboratory and stress, a Master's degree of Dept. of Community Health The graduate School of Social Development Chung-Ang University. 2004. 1-4.