Perception of Risk of Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Brazilian Dental Students

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the mean scores of perceived risk factors for the development of musculoskeletal disorders in dental students presently pursuing work/study, according to gender, course series, and the presence of pain/discomfort. The participants were 348 students from the undergraduate course in dentistry at a Brazilian public university. The instrument on work-related factors that could contribute to osteomuscular symptoms and part of the Nordic questionnaire were used. The psychometric properties of the irst instrument were estimated. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed that the instrument had a tri-factorial structure (s 2 retained: 62.72 percent). The retained factors were repetitiveness, work posture, and external factors. The internal consistency and reproducibility were adequate (α=0.746 to 0.873; p=0.729 to 0.940). Lower mean scores of perceived external factors were observed for the male participants, as well as lower scores in the three dimensions of the instrument for irst-year students of the course and for those who did not report pain/discomfort in the neck, feet, and ankles. The authors concluded that the perception of risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders reported in the work/study environment of dental students was signiicantly related to gender, the course series, and the presence of pain/discomfort.

Ergonomic risk and preventive measures of musculoskeletal disorders in the dentistry environment: an umbrella review

“…All work related risks and their respective preventive strategies should be explained at the undergraduate training stages, so that students can prevent the onset of MSDs by adopting an ergonomic approach in their dental practice ( Garcia, Presoto & Campos, 2013 ).…”

Ergonomics in dentistry: experiences of the practice by dental students

“…The practical follow‐up of ergonomic starts during the pre‐clinical activities of the Restorative Dentistry course, when students are still enrolled in the second year of this degree course, a total of 45 h of training. Clinical activities are also carried out during patient care in the Restorative Dentistry course, during the third year of this degree course , a total of 90 h of training. The major emphasis of the discipline of Ergonomics in Dentistry in this Faculty is to conduct streamlined work together with the maintenance of occupational health.…”

Preclinical dental training: Association between difficulty in performing restorative procedures and the adoption of ergonomic posture

“…Dental students’ risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders is high . Strategies should therefore be implemented in their academic programmes in an attempt to reduce this risk .…”

“…These requirements affect factors involving visualisation and access to the operating field, which is very small, difficult to see, dark and often shadowed . In an attempt to improve visualisation, students tilt their torsos and necks towards the mouth of the dental mannequin and, in doing so, decrease the distance between their eyes and the mannequin's mouth . According to Presoto et al, the students evaluated in their study also reported that the method they found easiest and quickest for accessing the oral cavity was the lifting of the elbows.…”

“…One fact that should be reinforced in lessons for students is that the quality of the work depends not only on the visualisation of the operating field, but also on other factors such as experience, practice and manual dexterity, all of which tend to improve after an adequate training period. In addition, in order to aid in this initial adaptation phase, the correct positioning of the mannequin's head based on the tooth involved in the procedure allows for adequate visualisation of the operating field and helps professionals to avoid excessive inclination of the neck and torso and consequent damages to the musculoskeletal system …”