Lesões por esforços repetitivos/distúrbios osteomusculares relacionados ao trabalho em cirurgiões-dentistas

Abstract

As patologias denominadas genericamente de Lesões por Esforços Repetitivos (LERs)/Distúrbios Osteomusculares Relacionados ao Trabalho (DORTs), apresentando sinais e sintomas de inflamações dos músculos, tendões, fáscias e nervos dos membros superiores, cintura escapular e pescoço, entre outros, têm chamado a atenção não só pelo aumento da sua incidência mas por existirem evidências de sua associação com o ritmo de trabalho. O exercício profissional obriga que cirurgiões-dentistas utilizem na execução das tarefas os membros superiores e estruturas adjacentes, freqüentemente com repetitividade de um mesmo padrão de movimento, compressão mecânica das estruturas localizadas na região, assumindo posturas incorretas, utilizando força excessiva e ainda, na maioria dos casos, trabalhando sob pressão temporal. O presente estudo utilizou o método epidemiológico transversal para buscar evidências da existência da relação entre as tarefas executadas pelo cirurgião-dentista e as LERs/DORTs. Os estudos empíricos revelaram presença de associação estatisticamente significante entre os dois sexos e as patologias. O sexo feminino apresenta mais lesões que o masculino. Ombro/braço (39,40%), punho/mão (18,30%) e pescoço (17,20%) são as regiões mais afetadas. Finalmente, o presente estudo é mais um indicativo de que as tarefas executadas estão expondo esses profissionais a um risco considerável de adquirir LERs/DORTs.

Prevalence of repetitive strain injuries/work related musculoskeletal disorders in different specialties of dentists

“…This result is similar to the study of Santos Filho & Barreto 16 , who found a percentage of 58% of dentists with complaints of musculoskeletal pains in one or more regions of the upper body. Regis Filho et al 3 obtained a percentage of 56.68% of these professionals with painful symptoms in the upper limbs, shoulder or neck. Gazzola et al 17 , in turn, had a finding of 98.6% of dentists with musculoskeletal pains, a result very similar to Cunha et al 18 who, in their study evaluating professionals from the Family Health Program Center in Campina Grande (PB), found 100% of the professionals analyzed in pain.…”

“…Of this number, 523 were returned due to change of address and 771 returned properly filled out, ie 24.91% of the valid questionnaires. Even though not a scientific argument, but claiming to be the only one in the literature, the author was justified in the Brazilian Post and Telegraph, which says that, due to the experience of decades offering this type of service, in this type of research is not expect a higher return than 10%; thus, the authors considered, though comparatively, the percentage of questionnaires excelente 3 . Thus, as in the present study we used a similar methodology, in which the questionnaires were delivered to dentists and asked to respond in a particular period, reaching 22.7% of the sample can be considered satisfactory.…”

“…In agreement with this statement, Garbin et al 4 found a considerable number of professionals (17.41%) with pains graduated for less than five years. However, Regis Filho et al 3 found that dentists with more than 20 years of profession had a higher number of cases with more than five years of pain than those who had up to 10 or even 20 years of professional practice.…”

“…In a study of Regis Filho et al 3 evaluating RSI/ WRMD among dentists, questionnaires were sent to 3618 professionals by letter and reply card conventional system. Of this number, 523 were returned due to change of address and 771 returned properly filled out, ie 24.91% of the valid questionnaires.…”

“…The expressions RSI and WRMD refer to musculoskeletal lesions caused by repetitive use or maintenance of inadequate positions, and may be influenced by ergonomic and biomechanical, environmental, psychological, precipitating, occupational and non-occupational factors 2 . According to scientific literature, there are a lot of occupations that lead to RSI/WRMD, and it has been already proved that the dentist is a one of the risk professionals 3 , due its postural instability during its activities, that must be made inside a few centimeters: the oral cavity. 62% of general population present musculoskeletal work related pains.…”