Dental health of civil aviation flight personnel

BACKGROUND: Preservation and strengthening of the health of civil aviation flight personnel is an extremely urgent problem and is associated with ensuring flight safety.

AIM: This study aimed to determine the structure and analyze the organs and tissues of the masticatory apparatus among civil aviation flight personnel.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: To determine the incidence and intensity of main dental diseases and the morbidity structure of organs and tissues of the masticatory apparatus in civil aviation pilots, an in-depth examination was carried out in 120 men aged 25–45 years (study group 1) working on various modern passenger and transport aircrafts. The duration of flight operations ranged from 2 to 17 years, with a total flight duration of 140 to 5580 h. The comparison group consisted of 146 men (aged 25–45 years) of non-flying specialties (study group 2). The generally accepted methods for assessing the prevalence and intensity of the course of major dental diseases were used.

RESULTS: The incidence and intensity of dental disorders, periodontal disease, temporomandibular joint disorders, and parafunctions of the masticatory muscles were defined. The incidence and intensity of major dental diseases among civil aviation flight personnel were clearly directly proportional to their flight time (r=0.547) and duration of work in civil aviation (r=0.482) but to a lesser extent to their age (r=0.416).

CONCLUSIONS: Non-carious lesions of the teeth, inflammatory and dystrophic diseases of the periodontal and oral mucosa, painful dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint, and bruxism are more common among civil aviation flight personnel than among non-flying personnel, which is due to the unfavorable effect of air flight factors on organs and tissues of the mastication apparatus and the body of the pilots as a whole.