Dentists should be concerned about their hearing while at work. A recent study identified professional groups at risk of suffering from noise-induced hearing loss in the workplace.

Generally, noise levels in a dental clinic are quite low, but there are times when noise levels may damage hearing. This is especially true when dentists make use of drills and other noisy equipment. Some dental drills operate at above the recommended maximum level of 100dB. And prolonged exposure to high levels of noise can have catastrophic effects on your hearing.

Remember that noise-induced hearing loss cannot be restored. Following are some ways to prevent hearing damage at work.

-When busy with patients, keep the greatest possible distance from the patient and the source of the noise.

-Maintain and oil your dental instruments regularly. This will prevent unnecessary noise.

-Wear earplugs or other hearing protection when using loud instruments.

Source: www.hear-it.org

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 at 4:49 pm and is filed under Hearing Loss Issues. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.