In order to evaluate the health status of Korean dentists, the author collected death certificates of dentist and mailed questionnaires concerning status of vision, audition, feet, kidney function, back pain, mercury hygiene, infection control, periodic health examination, and proper period of health examination, the number of absences due to disease and experienced disease, to 1400 randomly selected dentist. Questionnaires returned by 574 dentists. The returned questionnaires and death data of dentist were analyzed and discussed.
The average ages of dentists at death were 58.9, 60.2 and 59.5 years, respectively, in each. of the 3 period(1975-1979, 1980-1984, 1985-1989), meanwhile the average ages of males at death over.24 years were 59.7, 60.7 and 60.1 years, respectively, in each of the 3 year(1975, 1980 and 1985).
The Recommendations for improving the health of dentists were as follaws:
1. In Medical Insurance, reusable capsule should be replaced with single-use precapsulated alloy for amalgam filling.
2. Guidelines for dental mercury hygiene in dental offices should be established
by Korean Dental Association.
3. The items of periodic health examination including urinalysis for mercury should be developed, and it was recommended that Korean Dental Association should organize group._ periodic health examination for dentists.
4. Guidelines for infection control in dental offices should be established by Korean Dental Association.
5. It was recommended that dental students should protect themself via Hepatitis
B virus immunization,+and wear protective glasses, gloves and masks.
6. It was recommended that dental student should learn the proper operators
position covering treatments of all parts of oral cavity.
7. The reporting procedures of dentists´ death should be improved by Korean Dental Association.
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