Prevalence of noise induced hearing loss among dentists working in Karachi, Pakistan

ABSTRACT

Dentists are exposed to noise of varying intensities while working in dental clinics. This paper discusses the different sources and characteristics of noise in the dental clinics. Questionnaire surveys from three hundred and thirty-three dentists [male and female] were collected for a cross-sectional study conducted in Karachi, Pakistan. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 17. The study concludes that noise originating from the dental tools appears to have an effect on the dentists and contributes to their headache, irritation, tinnitus and in some cases hearing damage. Further investigation is required to study the possible risks of induced hearing loss due to these dental tools