NEUROPATHY IN FEMALE DENTAL PERSONNEL EXPOSED TO HIGH-FREQUENCY VIBRATIONS

Objective-To evaluate early neuropathy in dental personnel exposed to high frequency vibrations. Methods-30 dentists and 30 dental hygienist s who used low and high speed hand pieces and ultrasonic scalers were studied, and 30 dental assistants and 30 medical nurses not exposed to vibration (all women). Vibrotactile sensibility, strength, motor perf ormance, sensorineural symptoms and signs, and vascular symptoms in th e hands, as well as mercury concentrations in biological samples and c ervicobrachial symptoms, were studied. Results-The two groups exposed to vibration had significant impairments of vibrotactile sensibility, strength, and motor performance, as well as more frequent sensorineura l symptoms. In the dentists there were significant associations betwee n the vibrotactile sensibility and strength, motor performance, superf icial sensibility, and sensorineural symptoms. There were no associati ons between these findings and cervicobrachial symptoms, mercury conce ntrations, or smoking. There was no increase of vascular symptoms of t he hands in the groups exposed to vibration. Conclusion-Dental hygieni sts and dentists had a slight neuropathy, which may be associated with their exposure to high frequency vibrations, and which may be detrime ntal to their work performance. Thus, development of safer equipment i s urgent.