Postural Risks in Dental Practice: An Assessment of Musculoskeletal Health

In recent years, Romania's stomatology private practice sector has seen substantial growth, with many dentists fully committing to building and expanding their own practices, often funded by their personal income. This study aimed to explore how various postures affect the muscle groups of dent...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2024-09, Vol.24 (19), p.6240
Main Authors: Lazăr Căteanu, Alexandra Maria, Repanovici, Angela, Baritz, Mihaela Ioana, Scutariu, Mihaela Monica, Tătaru Ostafe, Anca Ioana, Pantea, Ileana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Dentistry
Dentists
Design
Ergonomics
Feedback
Female
Human body
Humans
Information management
Injuries
Male
Medicine
Middle Aged
Musculoskeletal diseases
Musculoskeletal Diseases - etiology
musculoskeletal health
Posture
Posture - physiology
posture assessment
Practice
private practice
RULA
Sensors
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Summary:In recent years, Romania's stomatology private practice sector has seen substantial growth, with many dentists fully committing to building and expanding their own practices, often funded by their personal income. This study aimed to explore how various postures affect the muscle groups of dentists (380), particularly focusing on identifying positions that may jeopardize their musculoskeletal health. A group of dentists effectively participated in this study (10), adhering to their regular work routines while wearing wearable sensors on their backs to monitor posture and activity. The data gathered from these sensors were analyzed using the RULA (rapid upper-limb assessment) and REBA (rapid entire-body assessment) tools. The findings indicated that the head and shoulder movements during dental procedures involved considerable and repetitive angular shifts, which could strain the neck and back muscles and heighten the risk of musculoskeletal problems. Additionally, the standing postures adopted by the dentists were associated with an increased risk of postural issues and greater overall fatigue. Extended periods of trunk and head tilting were also identified as contributing factors to posture-related challenges.
ISSN:1424-8220
1424-8220
DOI:10.3390/s24196240