Pulmonary Alterations Among Workers in a Dental Prosthesis Laboratory: Exploring High Dust Concentrations and Novel Findings of Bacterial Genera in the Workplace to Achieve Improved Control.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pulmonary alterations in workers from a dental prosthesis laboratory and explore dust and bacterial dissemination generated in the laboratory. METHODS: Spirometry and computerized axial tomography were performed on 67 workers. Dust in workplace air was determined using the filtration-gravimetric method, and bacterial detection was explored using 16S rDNA gene sequencing. RESULTS: Pulmonary alterations were detected in 37% of the workers. Airborne dust concentrations were determined to be higher than the maximum permissible exposure limit, and bacterial detection analysis revealed 23 bacterial genera. The most frequently detected bacterial genus was Sphingomonas sp., which has been described as microbiota associated with disease of the oral cavity. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study highlight the importance of the implementation of biosecurity measures, improvement of ventilation systems, and routine disinfection of dental impressions.