I would like to thank Dr. John M. Hyson Jr. for his December JADA article, "The Air Turbine and Hearing Loss: Are Dentists at Risk?"
I have been practicing dentistry for 15 years now. About seven years ago, I developed tinnitus in my left ear. It is an annoying, high-pitched whine, sounding almost like a high-speed handpiece that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Although it is uncertain as to why I developed this condition, I wish that I had started wearing earplugs in dental school, and had continued the practice throughout my dental career.
Unfortunately, so many times we fail to take the necessary action to prevent problems while preventive action still can be taken. Unlike many other repetitive stress–type problems that can be detected by the practitioner early in their onset, tinnitus can hit you without warning. One second my ear had no ringing, the next second it did, and the ringing never went away.
I believe we all should think about wearing ear protection,1 both dentists and assistants, the same as we wear masks, eye protection and gloves. It would be nice to see more studies on this topic. Thank you again for the article.
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