ABSTRACT
In this study, the survival of Swiss dentists is investigated using a cohort of 5749 members of the Swiss Dental Association (SSO). The study shows that the male dentists of this cohort have at any age a lower mortality than the Swiss male population in general. However, a similar statement cannot be made for the Swiss female dentists as there is uncertainty about their reasons for leaving the cohort. In addition, the death causes of 446 deceased dentists were studied with respect to a connection of death causes and exposure to amalgam. There was no evidence of higher mortality by causes commonly associated with amalgam exposure, in spite of the fact that these dentists had mostly practiced in times of fairly high amalgam exposure. By its nature, however, this study cannot provide information on non-lethal diseases possibly caused by amalgam exposure. On the whole, Swiss dentists present themselves as rather healthy and long-living professionals.
