Introduction. The research aims at determining the negative effects of occupational risk factors on the salivary environment, namely the modifications of saliva consistency, salivary flux, salivary buffering capacity. The novelty consists in the identification of the specific effects by intraoral clinical picture using comparative techniques of oral health evaluation. A two-year comparative clinical and statistical study was performed on a research group of 204 subjects – half of them workers in a galvanizing section of metal plating, exposed to occupational hazards. Materials and methods. Clinical exam in an outpatient dental was completed with specific salivary tests. Results and discussion. The examination reveals dental erosion due to increased saliva consistency, in association with a relatively low saliva flow and also a decreased saliva buffering capacity. Conclusions. The work reveals the negative influence of occupational hazards, as cyanides and acid vapors present in galvanizing sections, on both oral health and salivary environment.
Keywords:- buffer capacity
- cyanides
- occupational hazards
- saliva properties