Assessment of the oral health status and erosive tooth wear among employees of a petrochemical industry in Mangalore, India

Objective: To assess occupational exposure to acids and its possible impact on oral health of individuals. Method: A cross sectional descriptive survey was conducted on 597 employees. A calibrated questionnaire was administered, oral health status of the employees was assessed using WHO Oral Health Assessment Proforma and Erosive Tooth Wear was measured using Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE). Results: 49.9% employees presented with some form of erosive tooth wear. Employees who had more frequent exposure to acid fumes at work showed more dental erosion (Chi-square test, p < 0.05). Also it was observed that the prevalence of dental erosion increased with increase in work experience of the employee (r = 0.392, p < 0.01). Conclusions: There was a high prevalence of erosive tooth wear among the petrochemical workers and necessary safety precautions and preventive interventions are recommended.