Musculoskeletal disorders among dental hygienist and students of dental hygiene

Abstract

Objectives:The purpose of the present study was to present an up-to-date report on the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints in dental hygienists and dental hygiene students in Israel. It examined the areas of the body that were most frequently affected and the intensity of pain in both groups. The possible differences between groups and the likelihood that musculoskeletal symptoms in students can be attributed to their workload. Method: A modified version of The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ)was used to assess reports of Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in general and in different body areas. A numerical pain scale was administered to evaluate pain intensity.Results: Two hundred and five women participated in the study: 85 experienced dental hygienists, 17 dental hygiene students and 103 students in a non-clinical track (control group). MSD reports were the most common in the neck (60%), upper back (52%) and lower back (61%). This tendency was seen across all three groups. Hygiene students differed significantly from the control group in terms of number of body areas with MSD and for pain intensity. By contrast, no significant differences were found between dental hygienists and hygiene students, Conclusions:The findings suggest that dental hygienists and students are at high risk of developing MSD. The high prevalence of MSD among hygiene students underscores the need to commence intervention prior to the initiation of fieldwork.

Quality of life in dental hygienists using complementary alternative medicine approaches for work‐related musculoskeletal disorders

“…These results were consistent with the literature in regard to the most common sites for WRMSDs in healthcare and dental professionals 3,6,7,11,22 11 although other research has found higher prevalence of wrist and hand MSDs in dental hygienists ranging from 39 to 69% 8–10 …”

“…However, a recent study with dentists and dental hygienists in Italy found the highest prevalence of WRMSDs 2–5 years after graduation 11 . In addition, other research has found MSDs in dental hygiene students suggesting it is common for WRMSDs to appear early on in the profession 8,23,24 …”

“…(n = 85) research has found higher prevalence of wrist and hand MSDs in dental hygienists ranging from 39 to 69%. [8][9][10] In our study, participants experienced WRMSD pain early in their careers with a mean of seven years. This finding appears to be inconsistent with studies conducted with dentists in Denmark, Thailand…”

“…11 In addition, other research has found MSDs in dental hygiene students suggesting it is common for WRMSDs to appear early on in the profession. 8,23,24 This is an area needing further research.…”

A RULA-Based Comparison of the Ergonomic Risk of Typical Working Procedures for Dentists and Dental Assistants of General Dentistry, Endodontology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Orthodontics

“…Although there are numerous studies on the prevalence of WMSD and ergonomic interventions [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 9 , 12 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ], differentiations between the fields of specialization (e.g., general dentistry, endodontology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, or orthodontics) in these studies are rare [ 28 , 29 ]. Uppada et al [ 29 ], for example, found that oral surgeons show a higher prevalence of WMSD than generalists, while Newell and Kumar [ 28 ] argued for a different ergonomic load in orthodontists compared to generalists.…”