Occupational hazard study : measurement of noise levels of dental equipment used in dental clinic and dental laboratory

Abstract EN

Objective: To measure noise levels at a dental clinic and a dental lab and compare it with NIOSH recommended exposure level.

Methods: Noise level measurements were taken at Prince Rashid Hospital (Royal Medical Services), in both dental clinics and lab.

The measurements were done using equipment within these settings with the microphone (amprobe SM-10 sound meter, IEC 651 type 2 ) (Figure 1) located 30cm away from the equipment.

Cumulative noise in the clinic and lab was measured by locating the microphone in the centre of the room.

All measurements were made through the use of a decibulometer.

The average noise level was alculated for each item of equipment and compared with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommended exposure level (REL) .

Results: Values higher than the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health limit were detected in both the clinics and the lab, with values as high as 98 dB, 93 dB and 85 dB.

The highest detected values were for the vacuum, sandblaster, and high-speed handpiece.

Conclusion: This study shows that there are high noise levels in both dental clinics and lab.

the dental lab has higher noise levels compared with the clinics in terms of the equipment used, as well as cumulative noise level when measured in the center of the lab.