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Dental assistants at risk of lung problems
Fri Jul 6, 2007 1:45PM EDT
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL66195320070706?feedType=RSS&rpc
=22&sp=true

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Dental assistants who work with substances
called methacrylates may be at risk of developing asthma or chronic
respiratory symptoms, a study has found.

Methacrylates are used in dental filling materials and bonding agents,
like those used to cement porcelain veneers, crowns and orthodontic
brackets. Dental assistants are exposed to airborne methacrylate
particles when mixing these materials or during placement or removal
of dental restorations.

In the new study, researchers found that among 799 Finnish dental
assistants, those with greater methacrylate exposure had higher risks
of developing asthma or respiratory problems like chronic nasal
symptoms, hoarseness and breathing difficulty.

"The results suggest that exposure to methacrylates poses an important
occupational hazard for dental assistants," the study authors report
in the journal Allergy.

"The risks to respiratory health are related to inhaling these
substances," lead author Dr. Maritta S. Jaakkola, of the University of
Birmingham in the UK, told Reuters Health.

Probably the most important protective measure is for dentists to
install exhaust systems in areas where assistants work with
methacrylates, Jaakkola said.

The findings are based on questionnaire responses from 799 female
dental assistants. The researchers asked the women how often they
performed tasks like mixing dental fillings and sealings, and whether
they'd been diagnosed with asthma or frequently suffered respiratory
symptoms -- like a stuffy nose, cough or breathlessness.

Overall, the study found, women who'd been exposed to methacrylates
every day for the past three months were nearly three times more
likely than less-exposed dental assistants to report adult-onset
asthma. They also showed higher risks of nasal symptoms and
work-related coughing.

The risk of respiratory symptoms appeared to grow the longer women had
been on the job, and those who'd suffered allergies as children seemed
particularly susceptible.

In general, dental assistants who reported daily exposure to
methacrylates for more than 10 years had higher risks of hoarseness,
breathlessness and wheezing. Among assistants with a history of
childhood allergies, those who reported daily methacrylate exposure
had a four-fold increased risk of adult-onset asthma, and a two-fold
higher rate of nasal symptoms.

Besides exhaust systems to clear the air, gloves also offer dental
assistants protection from methacrylates, Jaakkola noted. The
substances can cause skin reactions, she explained, and it's also
possible that sensitization to methacrylates through skin contact
makes some people more susceptible to suffering respiratory effects as
well.

SOURCE: Allergy, June 2007.