Introduction: Dental technicians’
pneumoconiosis is a result of direct exposure to dental alloy, acrylic resin,
quartz, carbon, silica, and hard metal dust that are abundant in the air
respired by dental technicians. We presented a case of dental technicians’
pneumoconiosis with clinical and radiologic findings.
Case: A 33 year-old man admitted to
our occupational medicine outpatient clinic with dyspnea. He had worked in a
private dental laboratory as a dental technician for 18 years. He had a smoking history of one
packet per day for 10 years. He had no history of tuberculosis or any other
systemic or local diseases. Pulmonary
function testing presented the following values; FVC:70 %, FEV1:74 %,
FEV1/FVC:90 %. Chest X-ray revealed an increase in reticular density and
millimetric nodules in both lungs . International Labor Office (ILO) profusion
score was q/q 3/3 A, ax. High Resolution Computerized Tomography (HRCT) demonstrated
a diffuse micronodular pattern in both lungs that holds all zones. There were
also irregular fibrotic opacities due to conglomeration in right apical region
and honeycombing pattern next to pleural surfaces.
Conclusion: Dental technicians are exposed
to various dusts and chemicals during processing of dental prosthesis. They
should be informed on the potential hazards in their occupational area and they
should get the proper information on personal protective equipment and on all
the other preventive strategies. It is
necessary to ensure the proper working conditions for all dental technicians.
Key Words: Dental
Technicians’ Pneumoconiosis, Quartz Exposure, Mixt Dust Exposure
Dental Technicians’ Pneumoconiosis: A Case Report [Biyosidaller
Bölüm | Articles |
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Yazarlar | |
Yayımlanma Tarihi | 1 Kasım 2017 |
Yayımlandığı Sayı | Yıl 2017 Volume 2, Issue 1(4) |