Exposure to occupational noise and periodontitis in Korean workers

Background: Chronic exposure to occupational noise is reported to cause a wide range of health problems. But, there are no reports on studies investigating the association between noise exposure and periodontitis. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between occupational noise exposure and periodontitis in a nationally representative sample of Korean workers. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the 4th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The study sample included 8,927 workers aged 19 to 54 years. Noise exposure assessment was performed by using self-report questionnaires. The dependent variable was periodontitis. Age, sex, perceived stress level, place of residence, income, education, health behaviors (frequency of daily tooth-brushing, binge drinking, smoking status, regular dental checkup), diabetes, obesity, and white blood cell count were included as covariates. Logistic regression analyses estimated the association between noise exposure and periodontitis after sequential adjustment. Results: Compared with never-exposed individuals, participants exposed to occupational noise had an increased prevalence of periodontitis. The association remained significant after full adjustment of covariates (odds ratio [OR] 1.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06 to 1.70). Association of noise exposure with periodontitis was particularly strong for individuals aged < 45 years (OR 1.65; 95% CI 1.22 to 2.23). Conclusions: Our study shows that there is an association between occupational noise exposure and periodontitis in a representative sample of Korean workers. Policy efforts to improve workplace noise environments might have an effect on improving periodontal health status among Korean workers.