Musculoskeletal disorders and symptom severity among Australian dental hygienists

Abstract

BackgroundRecent 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.ResultsA 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.ConclusionsOverall, 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 pain and ergonomic aspects of dentistry

“…In activities where movements are cyclic, short and repetitive, added to static muscle contraction caused by poor posture, more than ergonomic solutions are needed. Musculoskeletal pain complaint by dentists has been described by several authors 6,14,21,22 , who state that pain reports are very common among dentists due to the time they spend sitting down or working in a same posture, which most of the time is not ergonomic. Sometimes, to carry out a task, in a certain working place, people generate mechanical overload in their musculoskeletal structures even unconsciously, especially when they adopt inadequate occupational or functional postures as a function of poorly designed work places 1 .…”

“…It is critical for professional and personal QL of dentists to know their causes, manifestations, psychological aspects, how to prevent and treat such injuries 20 . Carrying out labor activities in static postures, or with few and low amplitude movements leads to the development of musculoskeletal disorders in several professions, and dental practice is a risk factor for the development of such disorders 21 . In analyzing the presence of pain or occupational injury, 65.67% of dentists have reported having some type of injury.…”

Occupational Health Problems among Dentists in Croatia

“…It is estimated that every year approximately 70 % of dentists have different types of musculoskeletal complaints. Among these, low back pains, pains in the shoulders and at the neck level seem to be the most common sites of pain (20)(21)(22). Šustova et al examined the prevalence of musculoskeletal problems among Czech dentists.…”

Self-reported Occupational Health Problems among Libyan Dentists

“…2 Stress, tension, and postural habits accompanying the practice of dentistry, can contribute to back and neck problems and certainly pose significant occupational health issue for both dentists and dental hygienists, as they often need to seek medical treatment for these problems. 3 However, some occupational hazards are not specific to dentistry alone and any member of the public can get similar symptoms, and may be influenced by age, gender, work station design and geographical factors. 4 A considerable amount of literature has been published on occupational health problems among dental practitioners.…”