Relationship between oral symptoms during diving work and preventative dental visits in Japanese male occupational divers

• Published in: Industrial Health Vol. 58; no. 3; pp. 238 - 245
• Main Authors: ONOSE, Yuuki, SUZUKI, Seitaro, YOSHINO, Koichi, ISHIZUKA, Yoichi, SATOU, Ryouichi, KAMIJYO, Hideyuki, SUGIHARA, Naoki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health 01.01.2020; National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Japan; National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Japan (JNIOSH)
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Confidence intervals; Dental symptoms; Divers (Persons); Diving; Diving - adverse effects; Health aspects; Humans; Japan - epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational diver; Oral health; Oral manifestations; Original; Pain; Preventative dentistry; Preventive Dentistry - statistics & numerical data; Questionnaire; Questionnaires; Regression analysis; Statistical analysis; Surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teeth; Tooth pain; Toothache; Toothache - epidemiology; Japan; Questionnaire; Occupational diver; Dental symptoms; Tooth pain; Preventative dentistry
• ISSN: 0019-8366; 1880-8026
• DOI: 10.2486/indhealth.2019-0076

This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between dental symptoms experienced by occupational divers during diving and their participation in preventative dental visits. The questionnaire for this study was sent by post to 160 establishments and 215 members of the Japan Diving Association and participants were asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire. Data from 242 occupational divers (male, aged 20–79 yr) were analyzed. Multiple logistic regression analysis and correspondence analysis were performed to determine the relationship between dental symptoms experienced during diving and participation in preventative dental visits. We found that divers who experienced tooth pain while diving had not undergone preventative dental visits within the previous year (odds ratio: 2.76, 95% confidence interval: 1.12–6.80). This was also confirmed by correspondence analysis These findings suggested that not undergoing preventative dental visits was related to tooth pain during diving.