Abstract
We compared the mortality rate of male dentists with that of the contemporaneous Japanese male population. The dentists mean life span was 72.8±12.1 yrs (27-101), which is much longer than the Japanese male population. The causes of death averaged in the observed periods were represented in the following order. 29.8% for heart diseases ; 27.8% for malignant neo-plasms ; 13.6% for brain-blood vessel diseases ; 9.9% for pneumonia and bronchitis. 0f all causes, the SMR were significantly lower in the dentists than in the male population. As for selected causes, the SMR for malignant neoplasms and brain-blood vessel diseases in the dentists were significantly lower than in the male population, but heart disease was significantly higher than in the male population. Also, the SMR for pneumonia and bronchitis in the dentists was significantly lower than in the male population, although it was significantly higher in the last 4 years and ages from 55 to 69.
