The Relationship between Mercury Exposure and Psychological Health Status of Dentists

AbstractBackground/Objective: This study was undertaken to addresspsychological health effects of dentists’ exposure to low ambientlevels of mercury.Methods: One hundred and six dentists and 94 generalpractitioners were randomly selected from clinics in Shiraz city,Iran. Subjects were asked to complete the Persian version ofGeneral Health Questionnaire. The data were analyzed usingχ2 test, independent sample t-test and Mann-Whitney’s U test.Results: Both groups were similar as far as all demographicvariables, except age, were concerned. No significant differencewas noted between the dentists’ mean total score of GHQ-28 (17.9)and that of referent subjects (16.34). These scores were significantlylower than the cut-off point of 23 (P