Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38568461›Full record

ArticleJournal of orofacial orthopedics = Fortschritte der Kieferorthopadie : Organ/official journal Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Kieferorthopadie2025

Hand eczema symptoms, exposures and skin care in orthodontics : A national, cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey.

Bernhard Wiechens, Philipp Meyer-Marcotty, Timo Buhl, Thomas Werfel, Andrea Bauer, Christian Apfelbacher, Susann Forkel, Moritz M Hollstein, Stephan Traidl

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of orofacial orthopedics = Fortschritte der Kieferorthopadie : Organ/official journal Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Kieferorthopadie, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 33% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Bernhard WiechensDepartment of Orthodontics, University Medical Center Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Goettingen, Germany. bernhard.wiechens@med.uni-goettingen.de.
Philipp Meyer-MarcottyDepartment of Orthodontics, University Medical Center Goettingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Goettingen, Germany.
Timo BuhlDepartment of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
Thomas WerfelDepartment of Dermatology and Allergy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Andrea BauerDepartment of Dermatology, University Allergy Center, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Christian ApfelbacherInstitute of Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
Susann ForkelDepartment of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
Moritz M HollsteinDepartment of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
Stephan TraidlDepartment of Dermatology and Allergy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Universitätsmedizin Göttingen · DEMedizinische Hochschule Hannover · DEUniversity of Göttingen · DEOtto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg · DEUniversity Hospital Carl Gustav Carus · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesOccupational hand eczema is a common inflammatory skin condition among healthcare professionals. Orthodontists are frequently exposed to a variety of irritating and allergenic substances, and therefore they belong to a predisposed group to develop hand eczema. However, current data on the prevalence and predisposing factors among orthodontists to provide adequate prophylaxis are lacking.

methodsAn anonymous online survey was conducted in Germany between January and February 2023 and distributed to 2402 orthodontists. The questionnaire addressed general information on current skin status, as well as occupational skin exposure and skin care.

resultsA total of 209 orthodontists responded to the survey. Seventy-four percent reported experiencing hand eczema-specific symptoms within the last 12 months, with 24% describing moderate and 10% describing severe symptoms. The average daily glove wearing time was stated to be 6 ± 2 h. The most frequently reported triggers at work were frequent hand washing (62.7%) and hand disinfection (59.1%). Among all the respondents, 22.6% stated not using either barrier cream or moisturizer.

conclusionsThis study showed a high prevalence of hand eczema symptoms among orthodontists, which is probably due to frequent disinfection, hand washing, and contact with allergens such as acrylates. In this professional group especially, against a background of future increasing acrylate and epoxy resin exposures due to in-office three-dimensional printing processes, timely education and skin protection could decisively counteract the pathogenesis of hand eczema.

Indexed as

Dermatitis, OccupationalEczemaHand DermatosesOccupational ExposureOrthodonticsOrthodontistsSkin CareAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleGermanyGloves, ProtectiveHand DisinfectionHumansMaleMiddle AgedContact allergyEpidemiologyHand hygieneOccupational dermatitisSkin protection

Identifiers

PMID38568461
PMCPMC12373531
OpenAlexW4393855278

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.