Respiratory Symptoms of Exposure to Substances in the Workplace among Bulgarian Dental Students: a Self-report Questionnaire Survey

Abstract

Background: Dental students are at high risk of developing adverse respiratory reactions as a result of their practical work during their dentistry degree program when they come into contact with multiple airborne irritants and allergens.  Aim: To estimate the prevalence of respiratory symptoms of exposure to substances in the workplace and associated risk factors in Bulgarian dental students. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study of dental students at the Plovdiv Medical University and Sofia Medical University was performed by using a self-report questionnaire. A total of 467 dental students completed the questionnaire (response rate 51.8%). Results: The prevalence of self-reported respiratory symptoms related to the pre-clinical and clinical training courses of the dentistry program was 12.4%. According to logistic regression analysis, the most important risk factors for work-related respiratory symptoms were a personal history of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (odds ratio (OR) 6.34, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.14-12.78), atopic dermatitis (OR 2.81, 95%CI: 1.26-6.26), and exposure to chemicals from dental environment for more than 6 hours a day (OR 3.60, 95%CI: 1.21-10.70). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that work-related respiratory symptoms are frequent among dental students and indicate the need for efforts to establish effective primary preventive programs for occupational respiratory disorders at national level.

Keywords

• respiratory symptoms
• dental students
• dental mate