Noise levels measured in Danish dental clinics

We measured noise levels at three different dental clinics over several days and the exposure of the staff to noise from the dental equipment. The measured noise levels are compared to the guidelines and regulations stated by the Dental Association in Denmark and the Danish working environment authority. How the dental staff experiences their working environment with regards to the noise is surveyed via questionnaires and related to the actual noise measurements. The noise levels from the dental equipment during actual operations (cutting, drilling, suction) vary with the year of the manufacturing and year of usage. Overall, the noise conditions comply with the rules and guidelines but the staff is annoyed by the noise and believes their well-being and job satisfaction will be improved by reducing the noise level.