Sultan Ayoub Meo.
Occupational Hazards Of Cement Dust On Oral Cavity: A Brief Review.
Pak J Orthodont Ped and Comm Dentistry Jan ;1(2):109-111.

Oral hygiene plays a significant role in the general health, an acceptable oral hygiene prevent the community from many diseases not only at oral cavity level but also systemic level of the body. Many agents affect the oral health including environmental and occupational factors. A lot of enquiries were directed that occupational exposure of substances like asbestos, coal products, welding fumes, wood dust, cotton dust, cement and many other industries produce smoky / dusty environment. Especially in developing countries millions of people daily work in a dusty environment, the cement industry is also one of the industries that produce dust. The frequently reported symptoms in cement mill workers are cough, phlegm production, chest tightness, impairment of lung functions, bronchial asthma, headache, fatigue and also carcinoma of lung, stomach and colon. However, with respect to oral cavity, the commonly reported symptoms in cement mill workers are inflammation of gums (gingivitis), calculus and pockets formation, dental caries, and non carious tooth surface loss. No previous work has attempted to evaluate the effects of exposure to dusty environment e.g., cement dust and by considering its effects on oral cavity. Similarly no review was published to collectively highlight the general effects of cement dust on oral cavity especially the teeth. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to highlight the different studies concerning cement dust and its potential toxic effects on oral health situation in particular teeth of workers in the cement industry.

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