Faculty Collaboration Database

Exposure to the dental environment and prevalence of respiratory illness in dental student populations. J Can Dent Assoc 2004 Mar;70(3):170-4

Date

03/09/2004

Pubmed ID

15003164

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-1542376782 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   12 Citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the prevalence of respiratory disease among dental students and dental residents varies with their exposure to the clinical dental environment.

METHODS: A detailed questionnaire was administered to 817 students at 3 dental schools. The questionnaire sought information concerning demographic characteristics, school year, exposure to the dental environment and dental procedures, and history of respiratory disease. The data obtained were subjected to bivariate and multiple logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS: Respondents reported experiencing the following respiratory conditions during the previous year: asthma (26 cases), bronchitis (11 cases), chronic lung disease (6 cases), pneumonia (5 cases) and streptococcal pharyngitis (50 cases). Bivariate statistical analyses indicated no significant associations between the prevalence of any of the respiratory conditions and year in dental school, except for asthma, for which there was a significantly higher prevalence at 1 school compared to the other 2 schools. When all cases of respiratory disease were combined as a composite variable and subjected to multivariate logistic regression analysis controlling for age, sex, race, dental school, smoking history and alcohol consumption, no statistically significant association was observed between respiratory condition and year in dental school or exposure to the dental environment as a dental patient.

CONCLUSION: No association was found between the prevalence of respiratory disease and a student's year in dental school or previous exposure to the dental environment as a patient. These results suggest that exposure to the dental environment does not increase the risk for respiratory infection in healthy dental health care workers.

Author List

Scannapieco FA, Ho AW, DiTolla M, Chen C, Dentino AR

Author

Andrew Dentino BS,DDS,PhD Professor & Program Director of Periodontics in the Surgical Sciences department at Marquette University

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Air Microbiology
Analysis of Variance
Asthma
Bronchitis
Dental Clinics
Dental Equipment
Female
Humans
Inhalation Exposure
Internship and Residency
Logistic Models
Male
Pharyngitis
Pneumonia, Bacterial
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive
Respiratory Tract Diseases
Streptococcal Infections
Students, Dental
Surveys and Questionnaires
Water Microbiology