Oral health status among workers of battery factories in moradabad: a cross sectional study

Introduction: Oral health is an integral part of general health which not only depends on the environment in which an individual dwells but also the one in which he/she works. Exposure to various harmful substances in acid battery factory e.g. lead, sulphuric acid, affects various organ systems in the body with tissues of the oral cavity being no exception. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the oral health status among production line workers of battery factories in Moradabad. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 800 production line workers of twenty four battery factories in Moradabad. The study group comprised of all the workers in the factories including the production line. Oral health status was assessed using the WHO oral health assessment form, 2013. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 19. Results: The mean age of the study group (production line workers) was 29.15 ± 7.91 years and of control group (nonproduction line workers) was 35.49 ± 7.62 years. Mean years of experience were 9.90 ± 7.35 for production line workers and 7.07 ± 5.97 years for nonproduction line workers. Periodontal pockets were found to be present in 31.11% of workers when compared to 12.2% of control group workers (P = 0.001). Prevalence of dental erosion was found to be 49.5% among study groups as compared to 4.4% among the controls (P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study demonstrate the association of various oral conditions with workplace environment. The present study points the need of establishing appropriate educational, preventive, and treatment measures coupled with efficient scrutiny and monitoring in the workplace environment.