Deshpande Anshula Neeraj, Baishya Simron, Saha Sonali, Sodani Vasudha, Shah Riddhika, Antala Aishwarya
K M Shah Dental College and Hospital, Sumandeep Vidyapeeth deemed to be University, Waghodia, Vadodara - 391760, India.
Sardar Patel Post Graduate Institute of Dental and Medical Science, Lucknow - 226002, India.
Noise Health. 2024;26(123):501-506. doi: 10.4103/nah.nah_72_24. Epub 2024 Dec 30.
Noise sources in paediatric dental offices include machinery and children's cries and screams. Although the presence of occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) among dental operators is established, preventive measures such as ear protection devices (EPDs) are not frequently employed as prophylactic intervention. The primary aim of this study was to quantitatively assess the noise levels in paediatric dental clinics and to qualitatively evaluate the operators' perception of noise with and without the use of EPDs.
A crossover study was conducted with 93 operators; half of whom first worked without EPD, and the other half worked with EPD. Sound produced near each operator was recorded in decibels (dBs) for five working days, and the maximum sound in decibel for each day was noted and averaged. The results were then compared with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) exposure limits. A questionnaire was handed out before the commencement of the study, and another at the end of the study.
The average noise level was 86.68 dB without EPD and 86.83 dB with EPD. About 65.59% dentists considered the level of noise at their workplace to be medium level, and 98.92% did not wear EPD. Most common findings, such as irritability at the end of the day (77.42%), were relieved after use of EPD in 92.47% dentists.
The noise in the paediatric department is above the NOISH-recommended exposure limit, which is harmful to the auditory system. In general, dentists are knowledgeable about the noise in the operatory, although their knowledge about EPDs is not high.
儿科牙科诊所的噪声源包括机械设备以及儿童的哭闹声。尽管牙科操作人员中职业性噪声性听力损失（ONIHL）的存在已得到证实，但诸如耳防护装置（EPD）等预防措施并未经常作为预防性干预手段使用。本研究的主要目的是定量评估儿科牙科诊所的噪声水平，并定性评估操作人员在使用和不使用EPD情况下对噪声的感知。
对93名操作人员进行了一项交叉研究；其中一半人首先在不使用EPD的情况下工作，另一半人则使用EPD工作。在五个工作日内记录每个操作人员附近产生的声音分贝数（dBs），并记录每天的最大分贝声音并求平均值。然后将结果与职业安全与健康管理局（OSHA）和国家职业安全与健康研究所（NIOSH）的暴露限值进行比较。在研究开始前发放一份问卷，研究结束时再发放一份。
不使用EPD时平均噪声水平为86.68dB，使用EPD时为86.83dB。约65.59%的牙医认为其工作场所的噪声水平为中等，98.92%的人未佩戴EPD。大多数常见症状，如一天结束时易怒（77.42%），在92.47%的牙医使用EPD后得到缓解。
儿科部门的噪声高于NOISH推荐的暴露限值，这对听觉系统有害。总体而言，牙医了解手术室内的噪声，尽管他们对EPD的了解程度不高。
