Dentistry
Work-related contact eczema is the most common skin condition in dentistry. It is nearly ten times greater in dental nurses and seven times greater in dentists than the all-profession average.
Causes
The main causes are rubber chemicals, soaps or cleaning products and ‘wet work’. People working in the dental professions may also be exposed to chemicals such as X-ray developing fluid, which can cause hand eczema.
Tips to protect your hands against eczema
If you work in the dental professions, there are some simple things you can do to help protect your hands against eczema:
- If possible, use machinery and tools to clean equipment, rather than your hands
- When you wash your hands, make sure you have rinsed them thoroughly
- Dry your hands thoroughly with a soft, disposable paper towel
- Protect your hands by moisturising them regularly with an emollient (soothing and softening skin product), but use a product that is free from fragrances and preservatives - the fewer ingredients, the better
- If latex gloves trigger your hand eczema, use suitable hypoallergenic gloves instead
If you haven’t done so already, why not complete the my hand eczema questionnaire to find out more about your hand eczema, and to let us know what type of work you do?
We will update the website to show how many people in different professions suffer from hand eczema. You could help other people in your profession find out whether their job is commonly linked to hand eczema and reassure them that they are not alone.