Musculoskeletal Disorders in Dentists

Abstract

Musculoskeletal disorders commonly experienced by dental professionals can affect their health and well-being. The main aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among dentists in Iran. A cross sectional study was carried out in Rasht, northern Iran. Participants were dental workers who completed structured questionnaire on the topic of musculoskeletal disorders related to their job. The first part of the questionnaire was self-administered regarding their demographic information and job satisfaction. The second part was the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) for determining the site of pain, if any. The severity of pain was assessed by using Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The third section was RULA questionnaire (Rapid Upper Limb disorder Assessment) to determine the awkward posture during their work and eventually the need to improve the condition. A total of 92 dentists responded to the questionnaire. Seventy three percent of participant dentists had musculoskeletal pain. The common painful sites of the body were as follows: neck (43.4%), back (35.8%), and shoulder and wrist (each 25%). Direct inspection was a risk factor for neck pain (OR: 35.34, p<0.001). This study revealed a relatively high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among dentists. The severity of pain was related to higher action level of the RULA score; indicating that dentists with higher RULA scores needed to adopt better working posture.