• Discover how frequency, intensity, and exposure time to noise impact health
• Recognize environmental noise risks – work, home, and in leisure settings
• Become aware of noise reduction options by comparing noise protection devices
• Adopt an action plan – testing, prevention, implementation

Hearing loss is the number one disability in the United States.

Dental health care workers are subjected to both intermittent and continuous noise. Basic hearing hygiene recommends avoiding noises that are too loud, too close, or last too long, a nearly impossible set of recommendations for dental office employees. 

No one is immune from the noise coming from treatment rooms, the dental lab, or sounds produced by office equipment. Noise is additive and hard environmental surfaces exacerbate every sound. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a very real threat, resulting in a permanent, life-altering disability. 

It is critical for every dental professional to understand their relative risks for developing NIHL, how NIHL develops, the symptoms of this life-altering condition.