Occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields from dental devices: A descriptive study

Abstract

Objective: Electromagnetic Field sources, which are widely used as part of the operating mechanism, cause occupational exposure when electricity is generated, distributed, or usage in the everyday environment. We aimed to obtain the Extremely Low Frequency-Magnetic Field exposure profile for dental health workers from electrical devices used in dentistry. Method: Measurements were performed while appliances were under working conditions at a 10 cm distance from the device for 6 minutes and for 7 days. The highest measured value in every 10 second was recorded. The mean ± SD of the minimum and maximum Extremely Low Frequency-Magnetic Field for high-speed dental handpiece with LED, low-speed dental handpiece, modeltrimming machine, automatic boil-out unit, steam machine, vacuum device, and polishing machine were recorded in milliGauss. Results: The values obtains from model-trimming machine and polishing machine were remarkable (809.1 ± 37.7 / 975.0 ± 10.2, 649.3 ± 201.3 / 1367.0 ± 32.1, respectively). Conclusion: The results show that periodic Electromagnetic Field exposure measurements should be conducted to obtain more detailed information about workplace exposures and sources.