Tooth surface loss and exposure to organic and inorganic acid fumes in workplace air

Abstract

The effect of inorganic and organic acid fumes on teeth was explored in a cross-sectional study using blind dental examinations. A sample of 180 workers from two factories was randomly drawn. Among the 169 workers who participated in the survey, 88 were exposed to acid fumes and 81 were controls. The percentage of inorganic acid workers with tooth surface loss was 63.2%, while that for the controls was 37.7% (P less than 0.005). The corresponding figures in the organic acid company were 50.0% and 14.3% (P less than 0.02). In both companies the acid workers had significantly more often teeth with surface loss in the maxilla than their controls (P less than 0.02). Both anteriors and posteriors were affected. On the basis of the findings. it can be concluded that acid fumes at work are strongly associated with tooth surface loss.

Dental erosion and aspirin headache powders: A clinical report

“…Swimmers using chlorinated pools may present with tooth erosion, sometimes occurring in a unique erosion pattern in the mouth as a result of exposure of the facial surfaces of teeth on only one side when the swimmer takes a breath 18,19 . Even normal breathing can become a cause of dental erosion, if acid fumes are present in the workplace, as may be seen in battery factories and industrial situations 19–22 . This type of erosion may affect primarily the facial surface of the maxillary incisors, which are less protected from the acidic fumes in the air 20 .…”

Dental Erosion in Workers Exposed to Sulfuric Acid in Lead Storage Battery Manufacturing Facility

“…In earlier studies, the percentage of workers with dental erosion rose in proportion to work environmental sulfuric acid density, indicating the importance of monitoring sulfuric acid density in the air [8][9][10][11] . Few studies have investigated the relationship between dental erosion and sulfuric acid density in the air, indicating the usefulness of the present results.…”

Occupational exposure to acid mists and periodontal attachment loss

“…Occupational exposure to sulfuric acid mists has been described in association with dental erosion and ulcerative mucosal lesions 1,2,3,4 , explained by the high irritant and corrosive acid effects that damage the enamel structure, cause inflammatory and immune reactions, and reduce the salivary pH that can also compromise resistance to infections in the oral cavity 5 . Less studied is the association between inorganic acid exposures and periodontal lesions.…”