Pulmonary Function Testing in Dentists Versus Controls: A Pilot Study Exploring the Potential Respiratory-Related Occupational Hazards of Dentistry.

Minimal research exists evaluating respiratory-related occupational hazards associated with dentistry in the United States. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pulmonary function of dentists as compared with controls. This is a case-control study evaluating pulmonary function in dentists versus controls. Outcomes included measurements of percent predicted FEV1 (FEV1%), percent of predicted FVC (FVC%), and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC). Our findings indicate that dentists had a statistically significant lower percent predicted FEV1% (P < 0.05) and FVC% (P < 0.05) compared with controls. The prevalence of abnormal FVC% and FEV1% was greater among dentists, but only the increase in abnormal FEV1% approached significance. Dentists had lower percent predicted values for FVC% and FEV1% versus controls. More research is required to further investigate the association between the dental profession and pulmonary function in dentists.