Researchers looked at the incidence of hand eczema and related dry skin problems in dentists and found that as many as 45 per cent of dentists suffer, in varying degrees, dry skin problems on their hands.

A questionnaire on the skin symptoms experienced and other background factors was sent to 3,500 dentists (over half of Sweden's occupationally active dentists) and over 88 per cent completed and returned the questionnaires. The same questionnaire was sent to members of the general population, matched for age and sex.

Using a validated dermatological report in hand eczema, the prevalence of dry and rough skin on the hands was very high at 45 per cent and 13.5 per cent reported suffering from hand eczema.

Dry skin and hand eczema was found to be more common among dentists than the general population. This difference was particularly pronounced among male dentists, which is likely to be due to the fact that women tend to take better care of their skin than men.

A history of childhood eczema was found to be the most important predictor for adult hand eczema in dentists, their work utensils seem to affect the condition as well. Seven per cent of the dentists reported experiencing skin symptoms when working with acrylic resins, and 15 per cent had experienced rapid itching related to protective gloves.

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