Good ergonomics are crucial when choosing dental equipment. the reason is simple. Proper ergonomics encourage healthy postures, which are essential to avoid body tension and pain.
Here's something to try: Sitting on your torso is completely twisted. Move your right arm laterally across your body. Tilt your head to the right. Keep it this way for eight hours while repairing a watch on your lap. This is the strain that dental professionals place on their bodies every day, concerned about patient strains that may cause injury or disability to the body's movement.
According to the American Dental Association, 29% of dental disabilities are related to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Other studies show that about 66% of dentists and 80% of health workers suffer from some form of MSD. Many describe symptoms such as pain, burning, cramps, numbness, pain, stiffness, tingling or weakness.
If you are injured every day, what will your productivity be like? How does pain affect your family and your leisure time? Fortunately, there is a way to ease (in some cases) this stress on the body. The first step is to recognize the five risk factors for incorrect dental ergonomics:
repeat. You may have heard of carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive stress injuries; both are the result of repetitive motion. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines such movement as "Repeat the same movement every few seconds, or more than two hours in a row, and the movements involving the same body part will be repeated twice or more per minute."
force. Weightlifting, pushing and pulling, pinching and grasping are all acts of force. This means that by simply performing everyday tasks - such as scaling the patient's teeth - you will increase the impact of power on your body.
Poor posture. Factors causing poor posture include improper posture or rest, raising the arm repeatedly, working on the head or elbows by hand, bending, twisting the neck, back or wrist.
Contact pressure. When stress is concentrated on a small area of the body, contact stress occurs, squeezing or squeezing tissue. For example, the body is rubbed against the components of the workstation, or it is in constant contact with a hard or sharp object (such as a non-cushioned narrow tool handle). Abruptly applied pressure, such as compressive force, is also considered as contact stress.
vibration. Using dental supplies or equipment that vibrate more than two hours per day may cause arm vibration syndrome, which may result in muscle weakness or permanent numbness.
Ergonomically designed dental equipment can help you maintain a healthy posture and increase the efficiency of surgical operations. By allowing you to work painlessly today and throughout your career, proper ergonomics will benefit your physical, emotional, and financial health.
Get an ergonomic check
As part of its commitment to improving dentistry, A-dec provided an office evaluation from a Certified Human Ergonomics Assessment Specialist (CEAS). You will learn preventive techniques to help you and your team avoid fatigue, discomfort and injuries.
