The use of protective gloves and the prevalence of hand eczema, skin complaints and allergy to natural rubber latex among dental personnel in the county of Uppsala, Sweden

Abstract

During the past decade, there has been an increasing problem with acrylate allergy and natural rubber latex (NRL) allergy among dental personnel. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of these problems among dentists, dental nurses and dental hygienists in Uppsala county, Sweden. The study was based on a self-administered questionnaire sent to 690 persons with 527 responders (76%). The most common skin problem was dry skin, fissures and/or itching on the hands. Of the 72 persons (13.6%) reporting to have suffered from hand eczema during the past 12 months, 41 were patch tested with the TRUE Test standard series and the Swedish dental screening series. In the patch tested group, 9.8% reacted to 1 or more of the acrylates. In addition, 389 persons were tested for NRL allergy with the Pharmacia Upjohn CAP-RAST test, and of these, we found 7.2% to be positive. The prevalence of self-reported hand eczema and the number of positive CAP-RAST tests differed between the 3 occupations, with higher figures for the dentists. There was also a correlation between atopic eczema and hand eczema. Of those reporting skin symptoms, 67.7% connected them to the place of work and 28.8% related them to the use of gloves.

Determinants of physical and mental health complaints in dentists: a systematic review

“…Studies are focused both on generic physical and mental health (26,27) and on specific health problems such as musculoskeletal diseases (1)(2)(3)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34), carpal tunnel syndrome (35,36), dermatoses (37)(38)(39), allergies (40)(41)(42), hearing impairment (43)(44)(45)(46)(47), eye infections (48), hepatitis/needle-stick injuries (49,50), cancer (51), motor neuron disease, and presenile dementia (52). Despite evidence indicating an association between these risk factors and impaired physical and/or mental ill health in dentists, study outcomes appear heterogeneous because of (i) different operational definitions of occupational diseases and determinants of health, (ii) different study designs, and (iii) different healthcare systems.…”

Protective gloves in Swedish dentistry: use and side-effects

“…During the 1980s routine wearing of gloves was recommended by health authorities in several countries 1 and, since 1986, in Sweden 2 . Compliance with these recommendations differs between countries 3–7 and over time 1 . Non‐sterile medical gloves for single use are commonly chosen.…”

Occupational Contact Dermatitis Amongst Dentists and Dental Technicians

“…Skin aff ections in dental personnel are found mainly on the fi ngers and the hands, although secondary dissemination to other sites can occur. Th e most frequent clinical symptoms are scaling, erythema, vesicles, itching, and fi ssures 4 . Th is increasing prevalence of CD serves to highlight those areas where preventive eff orts need to be made in order to reduce CD associated with the workplace.…”