Dental practice and musculoskeletal disorders association: a look at the evidence

Evaluating the Dental Hygienists' Exposure to the Risk of Musculoskeletal Disorders

OBJECTIVES

 The aim of the study was to evaluate dental hygienists' exposure to the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), by the worksheets compatible with the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

 The research included 272 dental hygienists aged 23 to 52 years from the two administrative regions of Poland.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

 STATISTICA 12 and Microsoft Excel were used to analyse the results. The level of significance was p<0.05. The normality of the distribution was tested with the Shapiro-Wilk test. The relationships between the variables were assessed with the χ2 test. Due to the lack of "normality" of the REBA risk distribution, the Mann-Whitney test was used to verify the hypotheses.

RESULTS

 Overall, 48.5% of the examined showed a neck flexion >20, torsion of 80.1%, and 37.5% declared the presence of both types of loads. Also, 14.3% of the examined kept a vertical position, 53.7% flexion to the torso up to 20degrees, 31.4% to 60degrees, and 2.1% to >60degrees. Further, 78.3% of people indicated that they twist the torso. Then, 7% marked the low load's arms position, 45.6% marked the range from 20 to 45degrees, and 39.7% marked the range from 45 to 90degrees. Over 55% showed additional load related to the raising or abduction of the shoulders. Overall, 43% showed a wrong position of forearms. Also, 62.9% showed wrists flexed <15° and the rest showed >15degrees. Again, 79% showed additional twisting and flexion of the wrists. Almost 75% of the examined are exposed to overloads associated with the static load. The examined are not exposed to excessive loads resulting from sudden exertion. REBA scores indicate that the negligible MSDs risk concerns 0.7% examined; low risk, 5.5%; medium risk, 33,1%; high risk, 49.3%; and very high risk, 11.4%. The correlation coeffcients analysis showed that exposure risk is strongly correlated with the overloads on the tested parts of the body in both groups.

CONCLUSION

 The levels of MSDs risk indicate that hygienists more often should be subjected to periodic check-ups in the workplace. They also need ergonomic interventions (education, preventive technique, physical activity, and improvement of the working environment) and modifications of hygienist's college programs in the field of work ergonomics can be also considered.

Assessment of occupational hazards among dentists practicing in Mumbai

Aim:

To assess the awareness of various occupational hazards experienced and the preventive measures undertaken by the dentists in and around Mumbai.

Methods:

The present study was conducted using self-administered questionnaire, which was circulated to 200 dentists practicing in and around Mumbai. The questionnaire also included questions on personal information like age, gender, position (student or faculty), years of experience, and number of working hours per day. Those who completed the questionnaire form completely and willing to participate were only included in the study. The results were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0.

Results:

23.5% of the participants had the dental working experience more than 10 years and 28.5% dentists worked for ≥8 h. 69% were general practitioners and 40% of the participants treat nearly 10 to 20 patients per day. 45% of them experienced needle stick injury in clinical practice. 1.5% of dentists in our study admitted receiving some litigation from their patients.

Conclusion:

The present study indicated that occupational hazards, awareness about biological hazards, and preventive measures observed by dentists in Mumbai are generally consistent with published guidelines for infection control and also in accordance with the previous research. The majority of the dental practitioners were suffering from pain in the muscles of neck or back. Regular training and workshops can help lower such problems.

A Comparison of Examination Equipment Used During Common Clinical Ophthalmologic Tasks

Background

Ophthalmologists report a high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms, particularly of the neck and shoulders. Improving the design of equipment used in the clinical environment may reduce exposures to physical risk factors (e.g., sustained muscular exertions and non-neutral postures) associated with neck and shoulder pain among ophthalmologists.

Purpose

To compare estimates of neck and shoulder muscle activity and upper arm posture during use of conventional and alternative examination equipment common in clinical ophthalmologic practice.

Methods

Fifteen ophthalmologists performed one mock clinical examination using conventional equipment and one mock clinical examination using alternative equipment with the potential to reduce exposure to sustained muscular exertions and non-neutral upper arm postures. The alternative equipment included a slit-lamp biomicroscope with inclined viewing oculars, adjustable elbow supports, and a wider table-top with more room for supporting the arms in comparison to the conventional slit-lamp biomicroscope. A wireless binocular indirect ophthalmoscope was also evaluated that had a more even weight distribution than the conventional design. Measurements of upper trapezius and anterior deltoid muscle activity, upper arm posture, and perceived usability were used to compare the conventional and alternative equipment.

Results

In comparison to the conventional slit lamp biomicroscope, the alternative slit lamp biomicroscope led to (i) 12% to 13% reductions in upper trapezius muscle activity levels, (ii) a 9% reduction in left anterior deltoid muscle activity levels, and (iii) a 15% reduction in the percentage of work time spent with the left upper arm elevated in positions greater than 60°. In addition, participants rated the comfort and adjustability of both the alternative slit lamp biomicroscope and binocular indirect ophthalmoscope more favorably than the conventional equipment.

Conclusions

The results suggest that the alternative slit-lamp biomicroscope may help to reduce overall muscular demands and non-neutral postures of the neck and shoulder region among ophthalmologists.

Musculoskeletal disorders and symptom severity among Australian dental hygienists

BACKGROUND

Recent literature has identified that musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are a significant occupational health issue for both dentists and dental hygienists. Research on the occupational health of dental hygienists is lacking in Australia, which is of particular concern given that it is a rapidly growing field in this country. The aims of this research are to investigate the prevalence of MSD and correlating regions of pain among Australian dental hygienists. A self-reporting questionnaire was distributed to all registered dental hygienists in Australia. The questionnaire was a modified version of a validated tool, used previously among health practitioners and students.

RESULTS

A total of 624 dental hygienists responded to the questionnaire, achieving a response rate of 42%. MSD were frequently reported by dental hygienists in the neck (85%), shoulder (70%), and lower back (68%). Of those reporting pain, over two thirds reported that the pain lasted for longer than two days, for all body regions. Logistic regression analysis revealed that there is a correlation between reports of MSD in the neck, shoulder and lower back regions.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, this study suggests that MSD are a reasonably common problem for Australian dental hygienists, and that they often need to seek medical treatment for these problems. It is concerning that there is a correlation between reports of MSD in the neck, shoulder and lower back regions; further studies are needed to establish the epidemiological patterns of MSD in this profession.

Musculoskeletal Symptoms, Work Ability, and Disability among Nursing Personnel

Nursing personnel are at risk for developing musculoskeletal symptoms, which can result in persistent pain and inability to work. This study was designed to investigate the occurrence of musculoskeletal symptoms and their association with work role as well as to verify the relationship between pain intensity and disability among symptomatic individuals. Three hundred one nursing personnel, of whom 80.7% had musculoskeletal symptoms in at least one body part, participated in the study. The mean work ability score of symptomatic personnel was lower for physical demands. A significant difference between symptomatic and asymptomatic personnel was found for each demand measured by the Work Role Functioning Questionnaire, except social demand. Correlations were moderate but significant between pain intensity and disability. The results suggest that musculoskeletal symptoms interfere with work life.