Prevalence of gingival and oral pigmentations in battery Industry workers in Khorasan province

ABSTRACT

Heavy metals absorbed systemically due to therapeutic use or occupational environments may discolor the gingiva and other areas of the oral mucosa. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of oral and gingival pigmentations and blood lead level among battery industry workers and the relationship between them. In this cross-sectional study, fifty battery industry workers at Mashhad and Sabzevar were examined clinically regarding oral and gingival pigmentations. Then blood test was done for each of them and blood lead level was measured by graphite furnace atomic absorption technique at lmam Reza hospital laboratory. The data were analysed using chi-square test. In this study, there was not any significant difference between mean blood lead level of the workers of battery industry and that of the general population. Also, no significant changes in their oral pigmentation stata were detected clinically. It seems that due to new technologies in battery industry, saturnism among workers and other lead effects such as oral pigmentation [lead line] are not significant and their blood lead level is within the normal range