• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2017

Considerable effort has been made to address the issue of occupational health and environmental exposure to mercury. This review reports on the current literature of mercury exposure and health impacts on dental personnel. Citations were searched using four comprehensive electronic databases for articles published between 2002 and 2015. All original articles that evaluated an association between the use of dental amalgam and occupational mercury exposure in dental personnel were included. Fifteen publications from nine different countries met the selection criteria. The design and quality of the studies showed significant variation, particularly in the choice of biomarkers as an indicator of mercury exposure. In several countries, dental personnel had higher mercury levels in biological fluids and tissues than in control groups; some work practices increased mercury exposure but the exposure levels remained below recommended guidelines. Dental personnel reported more health conditions, often involving the central nervous system, than the control groups. Clinical symptoms reported by dental professionals may be associated with low-level, long-term exposure to occupational mercury, but may also be due to the effects of aging, occupational overuse, and stress. It is important that dental personnel, researchers, and educators continue to encourage and monitor good work practices by dental professionals.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.717-725
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• 2010

Objectives : This study was to determine the level of occupational exposure and quality of life and to investigate the effect of variables related occupational exposure on quality of life in dental hygienists. Methods : A survey questionnaire was mailed to dental hygienists from April 4 to May 15, 2010. The subjects were 256(56.9%), who were worked in dental hospital and clinic with mean age of $29.59{\pm}7.30$. Quality of life was measured using the WHOQOL-BREF. It consists of 26 items, each with 5-point likert scale. Self control of occupational exposure was measured using the 3-items. The data were analyzed with chi-square, t-test, one-way ANOVA, pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression using the SPSS WIN 17.0 program. Results : Regarding quality of life, the subjects was a mean of 90.73 out of a maximum 130 points. The level of self control occupational exposure a mean of 3.20 out of a maximum 5 points. Self control of occupational exposure, frequency of panorama radiography, work experience of radiography had a significant impact on quality of life in dental hygienists. Conclusions : Based on the findings, occupational exposure is negatively associated with quality of life in dental hygienists. These results suggest that health promotion program should be considered various factors related occupational exposure in dental hygienists.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.111-124
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• 2009

This study analyzes through the review of literature and laws the exposure time, clinical frequency, and radiation exposure of intraoral and extraoral radiography as well as of panoramic radiography performed by dental hygienists in dental clinics, compares the dental radiology curriculums of radiological science and dental hygiene departments, and proposes the expansion of dental hygienists' radiography operations. The radiology curriculums were compared between the radiological science and dental hygiene departments of colleges. For new analysis by radiography for dental diagnosis, the exposure time, radiation absorbed dose, effective dose, and number of days of natural radiation were compared by the type of oral radiation films and radiographical techniques proposed by domestic and international studies. The exposure time of panoramic radiography is 15 seconds and it takes about two minutes for completion, whereas the exposure time of the standard radiography is 0.2~0.8 seconds and it takes 10 times longer for completion of the radiography of full mouth than the panoramic radiography. The standard radiography can cause distortions of radiation at severely curved parts of dental arch and palatopharyngeal reflex. However, panoramic radiography can be performed even for lock jaw patients, causes less inconvenience to patients and is much simpler than the standard radiography. The percentage of dental clinics where radiography is performed by dental hygienists was 92.0%, and the percentage of standard film radiography by dental hygienists was 98% whereas the percentage of panoramic radiography by dental hygienists was 92%. For the absorbed dose which is an indicator of radiation exposure, the When the effective dose which is an indicator of the danger of radiation exposure was converted to the number of days of natural radiation, it was 3.3 days for panoramic radiography, but 13.9 days for the full mouth standard radiography by bisecting angle technique which was 4.2 times longer than the panoramic radiography. There were two colleges that had a dental radiology course with two credits in the departments of radiological science. The credits for dental radiology courses in the department of dental hygiene ranged varied by college, ranging from 3 to 8; on average, the theory course was 2.2 credits and the practice course was 2.02 credits. To summarize the above results, the percentage of dental clinics where panoramic radiography is performed by dental hygienists under the guidance of dentists is high. Panoramic radiography has become an essential facility for dental clinics. It is faster than standard film radiography and less dangerous due to low radiation exposure. Panoramic radiography is a simple mechanical job that does not require training of oral radiography by radiotechnologist. Because panoramic radiography is one of major operations which must be performed at all times in dental clinics, it must be designated as intraoral technique rather than extraoral technique, or legalized for inclusion in the scope of operations of dental hygienists.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.348-354
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• 2011

Objectives: This cross-sectional study was performed in the Dental School of Prince of Songkla University to ascertain noise exposure of dentists, dental assistants, and laboratory technicians. A noise spectral analysis was taken to illustrate the spectra of dental devices. Methods: A noise evaluation was performed to measure the noise level at dental clinics and one dental laboratory from May to December 2010. Noise spectral data of dental devices were taken during dental practices at the dental services clinic and at the dental laboratory. A noise dosimeter was set following the Occupational Safety and Health Administration criteria and then attached to the subjects' collar to record personal noise dose exposure during working periods. Results: The peaks of the noise spectrum of dental instruments were at 1,000, 4,000, and 8,000 Hz which depended on the type of instrument. The differences in working areas and job positions had an influence on the level of noise exposure (p < 0.01). Noise measurement in the personal hearing zone found that the laboratory technicians were exposed to the highest impulsive noise levels (137.1 dBC). The dentists and dental assistants who worked at a pedodontic clinic had the highest percent noise dose (4.60 ${\pm}$ 3.59%). In the working areas, the 8-hour time-weighted average of noise levels ranged between 49.7-58.1 dBA while the noisiest working area was the dental laboratory. Conclusion: Dental personnel are exposed to noise intensities lower than occupational exposure limits. Therefore, these dental personnel may not experience a noise-induced hearing loss.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.779-789
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• 2017

Objectives: This research is to examine the relationship between dental hygienists' exposure to incivility from doctors, bosses, colleagues, patients, their family and visitors, and their turnover intention. Methods: The research was conducted using Nursing Incivility Scale (NIS) and a survey. The survey was conducted from September 10 to October 20, 2015. 240 dental hygienists were conveniently sampled from Forty dental clinics and offices in Seoul, Incheon, Gyeongi-do, and Chungcheog-do. Results: The dental hygienists' exposure to incivility and turnover intention showed correlation (p<0.01), and its sub-factors, - the incivility from colleagues, doctors, patients and visitors - are also correlated with their turnover intention (p<0.01). The strongest factor affecting dental hygienists' turnover intention was incivility from doctors (${\beta}=0.279$, p<0.001), followed by colleagues (${\beta}=0.168$, p=0.029), patients and visitors (${\beta}=0.148$, p=0.026). The modified explanation ability of this model is 24.9%. Conclusions: Dental hygienists' exposure to incivility in workplace is highly correlated to their turnover intention. A program to educate dental hygienists positive mental attitude, communication skill to deal with incivility, and stress reduction method is therefore required in order to reduce their turnover intention.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.87-94
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• 1992

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of scatter radiation to dental x-ray film with long time-exposure in the different structures of the tooth, by using pinhole camera. For this study, pinhole camera, skull with tooth, and pocket dosimeter were used. The radiation with 70 and 90kVp and exposure time (minimum: 2.5 min., maximum 10 hrs.) was projected to the film in the pinhole camera. And density of the obtained x-ray film was measured with densitometer. In the intra-oral film taking, the amount of exposure of the scatter radiation affecting the thyroid gland area was measured with the dosimeter at the thyroid gland. The density of radiographs was compared in radiation projected with or without the metal cone of dental machine. The effect of the back scatter radiation to the film was also evaluated when the lead foil was removed. The obtained results were as follows: 1. A pinhole camera was a valuable device for locating the source of x-ray. 2. The scatter radiation affected the dental x-ray film when the radiation source was exposed. more than 5 hours'. In that case, the density of the scatter radiation could be observed visually. 3. The scatter radiation caused by short exposure of dental radiation didn't affect the diagnostic quality of the dental x-ray film. 4. The differences of densities between the tooth and the soft tissue according to exposure time showed 0.16 in 5 hours' exposure & 0.17 in 10 hours' exposure at 70 kVp & 0.12 in 5 hours' exposure & 0.13 in 10 hours' exposure at the 90kVp. 5. The differences of densities between the tooth and the soft tissue according to kVp showed no difference between 5 hours' exposure of tooth at 70 kVp and soft tissue at 90 kVp, but showed 0.05 high density in tooth when 10 hours' exposure at 90 kVp. 6. No difference of density was on radiographs taken with or without dental machine cone. 7. Back scatter radiation was recorded image of radiographs for only 3 min. 8. The amounts of the scatter radiation exposed to the thyroid gland in intraoral film taking were 1.12 mr in upper anterior, 0.55 mr in upper posterior, 2.75 mr in lower anterior, and 1.92 mr in lower posterior teeth.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.283-288
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• 2022

Purpose: This study was conducted to measure the radiation exposure and image quality of various cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) machines under common clinical conditions and to analyze the correlation between them. Materials and Methods: Seven CBCT machines used frequently in clinical practice were selected. Because each machine has various sizes of fields of view (FOVs), 1 large FOV and 1 small FOV were selected for each machine. Radiation exposure was measured using a dose-area product (DAP) meter. The quality of the CBCT images was analyzed using 8 image quality parameters obtained using a dental volume tomography phantom. For statistical analysis, regression analysis using a generalized linear model was used. Results: Polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) noise and modulation transfer function (MTF) 10% showed statistically significant correlations with DAP values, presenting positive and negative correlations, respectively (P<0.05). Image quality parameters other than PMMA noise and MTF 10% did not demonstrate statistically significant correlations with DAP values. Conclusion: As radiation exposure and image quality are not proportionally related in clinically used equipment, it is necessary to evaluate and monitor radiation exposure and image quality separately.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.248-258
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• 2023

PURPOSE. This study aims to evaluate the effects of exposure energy on the lateral resolution and mechanical strength of dental zirconia manufactured using digital light processing (DLP). MATERIALS AND METHODS. A zirconia suspension and a custom top-down DLP printer were used for in-office manufacturing. The viscosity of the suspension and uniformity of the exposed light intensity were controlled. Based on the exposure energy dose delivered to each layer, the specimens were classified into three groups: low-energy (LE), medium-energy (ME), and high-energy (HE). For each energy group, a simplified molar cube was used to measure the widths of the outline (X_o and Y_o) and isthmus (X_i and Y_i), and a bar-shaped specimen of the sintered body was tested. A Kruskal-Wallis test for the lateral resolution and one-way analysis of variance for the mechanical strength were performed (α = .05). RESULTS. The zirconia green bodies of the ME group showed better lateral resolution than those of the LE and HE groups (both P < .001). Regarding the flexural strength of the sintered bodies, the ME group had the highest mean value, whereas the LE group had the lowest mean value (both P < .05). The ME group exhibited fewer agglomerates than the LE group, with no distinctive interlayer pores or surface defects. CONCLUSION. Based on these findings, the lateral resolution of the green body and flexural strength of the sintered body of dental zirconia could be affected by the exposure energy dose during DLP. The exposure energy should be optimized when fabricating DLP-based dental zirconia.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.269-279
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• 2020

Objectives: Previous studies have reported inconsistent findings in the association between dental diagnostic X-ray exposure and thyroid cancer. This study was a meta-analysis of case-control studies evaluating the association between exposure to dental radiation and the thyroid cancer risk. Methods: We searched the PubMed and EMBASE databases to identify studies on dental radiation and thyroid cancer risks that were published up to September 2018. Quality of studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. A fixed-effects model was used to estimate pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using STATA 14.0. Potential publication biases were evaluated using Egger's test and Begg's funnel plot. Results: From the literature search, we included six case-control studies in this meta-analysis. The meta-analysis using the fixed-effects model found that dental X-ray exposure was associated with 2.34 times increased risk for thyroid cancer (OR=2.34, 95% CI=1.79-3.21). There was no heterogeneity in the data (p=0.662, I² =0%). Egger's test showed that there was no publication bias (p=0.532). Conclusions: This meta-analysis confirmed the association of dental X-ray exposure and thyroid cancer risk. The current results underscore the importance of applying safety regulations at dental clinics to protect thyroid glands during dental radiography examinations.

• Journal of Korean Dental Hygiene Science
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.27-37
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• 2020

This study investigated the relationship between knowledge of COVID-19, the risk of exposure to subjective infectious diseases, and the degree of infection control practices for dental personnel. For dental personnel currently working in dentistry, a survey consisting of 10 questions about COVID-19 knowledge and 63 questions about infection control practices was conducted. This study analyzed 126 survey data collected by distributing questionnaires form May 30 to June 20, 2020. Data was analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation. The average level of knowledge of COVID-19 was 5.44 out of 10, the average risk of exposure to infectious diseases was 3.86 out of 5, and the average level of infection control practices was 4.05 out of 5. The risk of exposure to infectious diseases was positively correlated with dental waste (r=.184). It was found that there was a significant positive correlation between infection control practices and sub-factors of infection control practices (p<0.001). To prevent the spread of COVID-19 and infectious diseases and to reduce the risk of exposure to infectious diseases for dental personnel, the practice of infection control should be improved. It is necessary to cultivate infection control experts and have mandatory infection control education and social regulations.