Carpal tunnel syndrome in dentists compared to other populations: A nationwide population-based study in Taiwan.
<h4>Background</h4>Dentists may be at a higher risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) because of their use of frequent wrist and vibratory instruments at work; however, this issue remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted this study to clarify it.<h4>Methods</h4>Taiwa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2023-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287351 |
| _version_ | 1797788264864677888 |
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| author | Wei-Ta Huang Chia-Ti Wang Chung-Han Ho Yi-Chen Chen Yu-Chieh Ho Chien-Chin Hsu Hung-Jung Lin Jhi-Joung Wang Lian-Ping Mau Chien-Cheng Huang |
| author_facet | Wei-Ta Huang Chia-Ti Wang Chung-Han Ho Yi-Chen Chen Yu-Chieh Ho Chien-Chin Hsu Hung-Jung Lin Jhi-Joung Wang Lian-Ping Mau Chien-Cheng Huang |
| author_sort | Wei-Ta Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Background</h4>Dentists may be at a higher risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) because of their use of frequent wrist and vibratory instruments at work; however, this issue remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted this study to clarify it.<h4>Methods</h4>Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database was used for this nationwide population-based study. We identified 11,084 dentists, 74,901 non-dentist healthcare professionals (HCPs), and identical number of age- and sex-matched participants from the general population. Participants who had the diagnosis of CTS before 2007 were excluded. Between 2007 and 2011, the risk of developing CTS among dentists, non-dentist HCPs, and the general population was compared by following their medical histories.<h4>Results</h4>The cumulative incidence rate of CTS among dentists was 0.5% during the 5-year follow-up period. In dentists, the risk was higher in women (women: 0.7%; men: 0.4%) and older individuals (≥60 years: 1.0%; <60 years: 0.4%). After adjusting for age, sex, and underlying comorbidities, dentists had a lower risk of CTS than the general population (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.45-0.92). Dentists had a higher risk for CTS compared with non-dentist HCPs, although the difference was not statistically significant (AOR: 1.21; 95% CI: 0.90-1.64).<h4>Conclusions</h4>In CTS, dentists had a lower risk than the general population and a trend of higher risk than non-dentist HCPs. The difference between dentists and non-dentist HCPs suggests that we should pay attention to dentists for potential occupational risk of this disease. However, further studies are warranted to better clarify it. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:34:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-921db0b679a04163981e0c8d64717d6b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:34:06Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-921db0b679a04163981e0c8d64717d6b2023-07-04T05:32:12ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032023-01-01186e028735110.1371/journal.pone.0287351Carpal tunnel syndrome in dentists compared to other populations: A nationwide population-based study in Taiwan.Wei-Ta HuangChia-Ti WangChung-Han HoYi-Chen ChenYu-Chieh HoChien-Chin HsuHung-Jung LinJhi-Joung WangLian-Ping MauChien-Cheng Huang<h4>Background</h4>Dentists may be at a higher risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) because of their use of frequent wrist and vibratory instruments at work; however, this issue remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted this study to clarify it.<h4>Methods</h4>Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database was used for this nationwide population-based study. We identified 11,084 dentists, 74,901 non-dentist healthcare professionals (HCPs), and identical number of age- and sex-matched participants from the general population. Participants who had the diagnosis of CTS before 2007 were excluded. Between 2007 and 2011, the risk of developing CTS among dentists, non-dentist HCPs, and the general population was compared by following their medical histories.<h4>Results</h4>The cumulative incidence rate of CTS among dentists was 0.5% during the 5-year follow-up period. In dentists, the risk was higher in women (women: 0.7%; men: 0.4%) and older individuals (≥60 years: 1.0%; <60 years: 0.4%). After adjusting for age, sex, and underlying comorbidities, dentists had a lower risk of CTS than the general population (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.45-0.92). Dentists had a higher risk for CTS compared with non-dentist HCPs, although the difference was not statistically significant (AOR: 1.21; 95% CI: 0.90-1.64).<h4>Conclusions</h4>In CTS, dentists had a lower risk than the general population and a trend of higher risk than non-dentist HCPs. The difference between dentists and non-dentist HCPs suggests that we should pay attention to dentists for potential occupational risk of this disease. However, further studies are warranted to better clarify it.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287351 |
| spellingShingle | Wei-Ta Huang Chia-Ti Wang Chung-Han Ho Yi-Chen Chen Yu-Chieh Ho Chien-Chin Hsu Hung-Jung Lin Jhi-Joung Wang Lian-Ping Mau Chien-Cheng Huang Carpal tunnel syndrome in dentists compared to other populations: A nationwide population-based study in Taiwan. PLoS ONE |
| title | Carpal tunnel syndrome in dentists compared to other populations: A nationwide population-based study in Taiwan. |
| title_full | Carpal tunnel syndrome in dentists compared to other populations: A nationwide population-based study in Taiwan. |
| title_fullStr | Carpal tunnel syndrome in dentists compared to other populations: A nationwide population-based study in Taiwan. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Carpal tunnel syndrome in dentists compared to other populations: A nationwide population-based study in Taiwan. |
| title_short | Carpal tunnel syndrome in dentists compared to other populations: A nationwide population-based study in Taiwan. |
| title_sort | carpal tunnel syndrome in dentists compared to other populations a nationwide population based study in taiwan |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287351 |
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