Factores de riesgo asociados con la aparición de problemas auditivos en estudiantes de quinto a décimo ciclo de la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad de Cuenca julio- enero 2022.

Abstract

It is known that noise-induced hearing problems are common in various work environments, where there are high sound intensities, which exceed the permitted level up to 80 decibels (dB); with this background in the career of Dentistry, students who perform their practices are exposed to high levels of noise caused by dental equipment, being prone to hearing problems. General objective:To determine the risk factors that induce a decrease in hearing acuity in students of the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Cuenca, 2021. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out, comprising a sample of 219 students of the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Cuenca, to whom the survey method was applied, using Google Forms software. The data were tabulated and analyzed using SPSS version 23 and Excel 2010. Results: 219 students were registered, in whom the prevalent risk factor was exposure to noise from dental equipment measured in days per week (P= 0.01), with 20.1%. In addition, 47% of the total population presented tinnitus or tinnitus and 21% of the study population indicated a subjective decrease in hearing acuity. Conclusion: The prevalent risk associated with the appearance of hearing problems in the student population was the time of exposure to noise from dental equipment, causing tinnitus in 47% of them exposed between 5 to 6 days with 20.1%, the presence of tinnitus was relevant in the female sample with 24.2% with respect to the male sample with 22.8%; also 21% of the study population indicated a subjective decrease in hearing acuity.