EFFECT OF YOUR OCCUPATION ON YOUR ORAL /GENERAL HEALTH

A relationship exists between one’s occupation and the oral health. Certain occupations have direct effect on oral health while some exhibits indirect effect. At the dental clinic, a patient’s occupation is one of the questions asked; oftentimes patients wonder the relevance of that question to their dental problems. A number of oral diseases have been linked directly to occupational hazards.

Professionals

Ranging from Engineers to lawyers and others in various fields are engrossed with their work, while majority are busy on the computer all day, marketers are on the move and traders are  buried in their trade. What do you do for a living and how does it affect your attitude towards your health? 

Sakki TK , et al.(1998) documented that workers and men exhibit delay in dental visit, this is an indirect effect.  Over the counter pain killers have taken over the role of health care professionals. Patients with dental pain have taken to alabukun powder ,aspirin as well as battery water to “relieve “their pain however devastating effects on oral tissues is what they get instead of relieve  and some have died from swallowing battery water.   Persistent headache could be a sign of a myriad of illnesses e.g. hypertension, HIV infection, typhoid fever etc. You cannot know what your case is until you have consulted a specialist. Many people continue to take solace in analgesics, this makes some drop dead suddenly from stroke because such person might have been suffering from hypertension. What is your blood pressure as you read this?

Battery factory worker

Peterson and Charlotte (1991) demonstrated in their study that severe erosion and attrition of teeth is associated with sulfuric acid mists in work environment. Erosion and attrition cause dentine hypersensitivity and TMJ pain.

Tailor

Chipping of anterior teeth caused by needles and pins are observed in this group of people. The habit of holding their working instruments with their teeth has developed over a long time thus damaging effect on their dentition.

Farmer

This people are predisposed to parasitic infestation which leads to anemia; evidenced by palor of the tongue and oral mucosa and general body weakness.

Carpenter

Contacts with moist wood have been linked with deep fungal infections. Both the diagnosis and treatment of this lesion are froth with difficulties, it is important to guard against it through preventive measures.

Gateman, Road transport workers

Very poor oral hygiene is seen in majority of this group of people.

This is associated with level of education, low income, and lack of dental awareness. They move about with oral infections and tumours like it’s a normal thing.

Bankers

Banking does not directly affect your oral health however because bankers work round the clock in Nigeria, dental checkup is not a routine for them, when they are in pain, they endure until they can no longer endure and the problem is advanced then they show their faces in dental clinics.

Kindly find time to check your blood pressure and present in the hospital if strange occurrences persist. Your health is your wealth.

 

References

Sakki TK, Knuuttila ML, et al. (1998): Lifestyle, gender and occupational status as determinants of dental health behavior. J. Clin. Periodontol. 25 (7): 566-70.

Poul Erik Petersen and Charlotte Gormsen (1991): Oral conditions among German battery factory workers.Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology.Volume 19, Issue 2, pages 104–106.