Characterization of Hearing Thresholds from 500 to 16,000 Hz in Dentists: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Introduction High-level noise exposure in dentists' workplaces may cause damages to the auditory systems. High-frequency audiometry is an important tool in the investigation in the early diagnosis of hearing loss. Objectives To analyze the auditory thresholds at frequencies from 500 to 16,000 Hz of dentists in the city of Curitiba. Methods This historic cohort study retrospectively tested hearing thresholds from 500 to 16,000 Hz with a group of dentists from Curitiba, in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Eighty subjects participated in the study, separated into a dentist group and a control group, with the same age range and gender across groups but with no history of occupational exposure to high levels of sound pressure in the control group. Subjects were tested with conventional audiometry and high-frequency audiometry and answered a questionnaire about exposure to noise. Results Results showed that 81% of dentists did not receive any information regarding noise at university; 6 (15%) dentists had sensorineural hearing impairment; significant differences were observed between the groups only at frequencies of 500 Hz and 1,000, 6,000 and 8,000 Hz in the right ear. There was no significant difference between the groups after analysis of mean hearing thresholds of high frequencies with the average hearing thresholds in conventional frequencies; subjects who had been working as dentists for longer than 10 years had worse tonal hearing thresholds at high frequencies. Conclusions In this study, we observed that dentists are at risk for the development of sensorineural hearing loss especially after 10 years of service.

High-Frequency Audiometry for Early Detection of Hearing Loss: A Narrative Review

“…The control groups had 32–142 participants. Five of the studies involving workplace noise exposure only assessed men [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ], four of them included both men and women [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ], and one study was a review [ 31 ]. The age range was 15–61 years, and the age groups used also varied.…”

“…An Interacoustic audiometer was used in four studies; three of these used the AC 40 type [ 22 , 26 , 28 ], and one used the AS10HF type [ 31 ]. Two studies used a Madsen audiometer [ 23 , 30 ], a further two used the Amplaid [ 22 , 28 ], and one study used a Labat Audiopack [ 27 ]. Sennheiser headphones were used in five studies; four of them used the HDA 200 [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 30 ], and one used the HDA 500 [ 27 ].…”

“…Two studies used a Madsen audiometer [ 23 , 30 ], a further two used the Amplaid [ 22 , 28 ], and one study used a Labat Audiopack [ 27 ]. Sennheiser headphones were used in five studies; four of them used the HDA 200 [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 30 ], and one used the HDA 500 [ 27 ]. Three studies used Koss headphones [ 22 , 26 , 28 ].…”

“…Age was found to be the primary predictor and noise exposure the secondary predictor of an increase in high-frequency hearing thresholds. The results suggest that HFA may be useful for the early diagnosis of noise-induced hearing loss, especially for younger groups of workers (up to 30 years of age) [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ].…”

Evaluation of employee noise exposures and ergonomic risks during dental procedures at a veterinary hospital.

“…Hearing loss and tinnitus are common conditions in the United States [Masterson et al 2016]. Research has shown that dental professionals may have higher levels of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and tinnitus than other job series [Burk and Neitzel 2016;Gonçalves et al 2015;Messano and Petti 2012;Myers et al 2016;Willershausen et al 2014]. However, exposure assessments of noise in dental environments have shown variable results, with some studies finding levels of noise above occupational Figure B6.…”