Occupational noise-induced hearing loss among dental personnel: a scoping review

Introduction Dental personnel are being exposed to noisy equipment on a daily basis and there are indications that dental professionals are at a higher risk of developing occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Therefore, this study aims to assess the available research on NIHL among dental professionals.

Methods A total of 452 publications were identified through searches on PubMed and Web of Science. These studies were screened on title and abstract for studies that investigated NIHL among dental professionals using objective or subjective parameters for hearing loss. The remaining publications were then searched for relevant data, such as research type, parameters used for measuring hearing loss and authors' conclusions.

Results In total, 28 publications were finally included in the selection. Of this selection, 23 used objective criteria for NIHL, three used subjective criteria and two used both. From the 12 studies with objective measurements that also included a control group in their studies, eight reported a significant higher hearing loss among dental personnel than in the control groups. From the 13 studies with objective measurement without a control group, seven reported significant hearing loss among dental personnel. All five studies with subjective measurements reported significant hearing loss in dental personnel.

Conclusions Hearing loss seems to be more prevalent among dental personnel than in most control groups.