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Aim. The purpose of the present research was to examine the factors that lead to musculoskeletal disorders in dentists by assessing their posture using RULA method. Materials and Methods. In this cross-sectional study, 130 dentists (84 male and 46 female) participated. The posture of the subjects during their normal workload was recorded by using the RULA method, and the range of musculoskeletal pains by using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), and individual and professional data was assessed by a demographics questionnaire. All tests were performed at the P < 0.05 level. Results. Assessment of the physical status of the subjects showed that 82.8% of subjects were at high risk of musculoskeletal disorders. The majority of musculoskeletal pains were in the neck (55.9%) and the shoulder (43.8%). Moreover, 68.9% of the subjects had experienced pain at least once over the last year. Significant relationships were observed between musculoskeletal pain and daily work hours (P = 0.07) and number of patients (P = 0.02), but the pain was not significantly associated with BMI and experience. Conclusion. The present findings showed that unsuitable posture of dentists during work has a considerable effect on musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore, further investigation is required to avoid the detrimental effects of wrong posture.

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abstract:Objectives: Recognising causes of stress can help prevent associated adverse effects. This study aimed to investigate causes of occupational stress and coping behaviours among general dentists in Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out from April to December 2014. A modified version of the Occupational Stress Indicator questionnaire was used to assess causes of stress and coping behaviours among 142 general dentists in Kerman, Iran. Results: A total of 93 dentists participated in the study (response rate: 65.5%). Of these, 58.9% reported often being stressed. The mean general stress score was 63.33 ± 19.99. The most common causes of stress were maintaining high levels of concentration while working (65.6%), time pressures (64.5%), concern over their ability to deliver dental services in future (60.2%) and rising costs (59.1%). No significant relationships between stress and gender, age, workplace or working hours per week were noted (P >0.05). However, there was a significant correlation between general stress scores and years of job experience (P = 0.05) and number of patients treated daily (P = 0.03). The most common methods for coping with stress were resting (71.0%), sports (45.2%) and entertainment (43.0%). Most dentists felt that stress management courses could help to reduce stress (89.7%). Conclusion: General dentists in Kerman were subject to many sources of stress in their workplaces, with significant relationships between stress scores and years of work experience and number of patients treated daily. Dentists should be encouraged to participate in stress management courses to help alleviate stress. Keywords

This equivalence, randomized, clinical trial aimed to compare the postoperative pain of root canal therapy (RCT) with pulpotomy with mineral trioxide aggregate (PMTA) or calcium-enriched mixture (PCEM) in permanent mature teeth. In seven academic centers, 550 cariously exposed pulps were included and randomly allocated into PMTA (n = 188), PCEM (n = 194), or RCT (n = 168) arms. Preoperative “Pain Intensity” (PI) on Numerical Rating Scale and postoperative PIs until day 7 were recorded. Patients’ demographic and pre-/intra-/postoperative factors/conditions were recorded/analysed. The arms were homogeneous in terms of demographics. The mean preoperative PIs were similar (P=0.998), the mean sum PIs recorded during 10 postoperative intervals were comparable (P=0.939), and the trend/changes in pain relief were parallel (P=0.821) in all study arms. The incidences of preoperative moderate-severe pain in RCT, PMTA, and PCEM arms were 56.5%, 55.7%, and 56.7%, which after 24 hours considerably decreased to 13.1%, 10.6%, and 12.9%, respectively (P=0.578). The time span of endodontic procedures was statistically different; RCT = 69.73, PMTA = 35.37, and PCEM = 33.62 minutes (P<0.001). Patients with greater preoperative pain, symptomatic apical periodontitis, or presence of PDL widening suffered more pain (P=0.002, 0.035, and 0.023, resp.); however, other pre-/intra-/postoperative factors/conditions were comparable. Pulpotomy with MTA/CEM and RCT demonstrate comparable and effective postoperative pain relief.