HUBUNGAN ANTARA LAMA PAPARAN UAP BELERANG DENGAN DERAJAT KEPARAHAN GINGIVITIS : Studi pada Pekerja Tambang Belerang di Gunung Ijen Kabupaten Banyuwangi Jawa Timur

Abstract

Background: Gingivitis is gingival inflammation that can be caused by local and systemic (endogen and exogen) factors. Environmental pollutants such as sulphuric acid fumes which can be found in workplace air is one of these factors that can affect the degree of gingivitis. Several factors determine the negative effect of sulphuric acid fumes exposure to human body include the dose, the duration and how the body comes in contact with it. The aim of this research was to assess the relationship between the length of sulphuric acid fumes exposure and the grade of gingivitis if oral hygiene was considered as confounding factor in the sulphur miners at Mount Ijen, Banyuwangi, East Java. Methods: This research was an observational analytical study with cross-sectional design. The subjects were the mining’s workers at Mount Ijen, Banyuwangi, East Java. Thirty miners have the inclusion criteria: 15-60 years old male, work as sulphur miners, without tooth prosthesis or tooth protector. The data including the length of sulphuric acid fumes exposure, the gingival index and the oral hygiene index, which were collected by interview and direct examination of subjects and classified according to the Loe and Sillness Gingival Index and Greene and Vermillion Oral Hygiene Index simplified. Data were processed with SPSS 15.0 for Windows using partial correlation of Spearman rank test with significancy level 0,05. Results: There was a moderate significant correlation, r=0,455 (p=0,013) between the length of sulphuric acid fumes exposure with the grade of gingivitis if oral hygiene was considered as confounding factor according to Partial correlation of Spearman test. Conclusions: There was a moderate significant correlation between the length of sulphuric acid fumes exposure with the grade of gingivitis. Keywords: gingivitis, length of exposure, sulphuric acid fumes