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14 I I C.E. article_ ergonomics The professional should not have to reach more than 15 inches. The light, instruments on the bracket tray, the handpieces, the computer or anything neededforpatientcareshouldbewithinarms-reach. Straining for items stresses the muscles in the neck and shoulder. The biggest culprit is the overhead light. A headlight attached to loupes is no longer a choice; it is a necessary part of a healthy ergonomic armentarium. _Checklists and the culture of teamwork Hospital checklists are saving lives and money. Pilots use several different checklists for every flight to prevent pilot error and crashes. Winning race car teams and race car drivers use checklists for every race. Dentistry can use checklists to great benefit as well. We’ve come a long way, yet dentistry still has a way to go. It won’t happen without a change of cul- ture.First,theproblemmustberecognized,hopefully before there is serious damage. Dental professionals know that before there is a cavity, before there is periodontitis, before there is oral cancer; there is a risk for a cavity, periodontal disease and oral cancer. Preventive care and early detectionisthepurposeofroutinehygienecare.Half or more of those reading this article already have MSDs; the other half are probably accumulating damage but haven’t reached critical mass to experi- ence symptoms. Dental professionals are caring individuals who don’t have to hurt themselves to help others. Ulti- mately not sitting comfortably hurts the practition- ers, the patients and the practice bottom line. With simple ergonomic seating checklists professionals can be more successful at practicing in a pain-free environment._ _References 1. The 1964 Report on Smoking and Health. National Library ofMedicine.1964.Availableat:www.profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ ps/retrieve/Narrative/NN/p-nid/60. 2. Nixon signs legislation banning cigarette ads on TV and radio. Time Magazine. April 1 1970. Available at: www. history.com/this-day-in-history/nixon-signs-legislation- banning-cigarette-ads-on-tv-and-radio. 3. Nonfatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Requiring Days Away From Work, 2010. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Available at: www.bls.gov/ news.release/osh2.nr0.htm. 4. Survey of Dental Hygienists in the United States Executive Summary. American Dental Hygienists Association. 2007. Available at: www.adha.org/downloads/DH_pratitioner_ Survey_Exec_Summary.pdf. 5. Weerdmeester, B. Ergonomics for Beginners: A quick reference guide. 2008. CRC Taylor & Francis. 6. Hazard Recognition, Control and Prevention. Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Available at: www.osha. gov/SLTC/dentistry/recognition.html. 7. An Introduction to Ergonomics: Risk Factors, MSDs, Approaches and Interventions. A Report of the Ergonomics and Disability Support Advisory Committee to Council on Dental Practice American Dental Association. 2004. www. rgpdental.com/pdfs/topics_ergonomics_paper(2).pdf. 8. Ergonomics for Dental Students. American Dental Association. 2011. Available at: www.ada.org/sections/ educationAndCareers/pdfs/ergonomics.pdf. 9. Ergonomics. American Dental Association Alliance. Available at: www.ada.org/4500.aspx. 10. Schamel,J.HowthePilot’sChecklistCameAbout.January 1, 2011. Flight Field Service History. Available at: www. atchistory.org/History/checklst.htm. 11. Gawande, A. The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2010. 12. Pronovost, P., Vohr, E. Safe Patients, Smart Hospitals: How One Doctor’s Checklist Can Help Us Change Health Care from the Inside Out. Penguin Group, 2011. 13. ChecklistforErgonomicRiskFactors.PMA.org.Availableat: www.pma.org/osha/docs/wsc-checklist.pdf. 14. Scott II, R. The Direct Medical Costs of Healthcare- Associated Infections in U.S. Hospitals and the Benefits of Prevention. March 2009. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: www.cdc.gov/HAI/pdfs/hai/ Scott_CostPaper.pdf. 15. Pronovost P, Needham D, Berenholtz S, Sinopoli D, Chu H, Cosgrove S, Sexton B, Hyzy R, Welsh R, Roth G, Bander J, Kepros J, Goeschel C. An intervention to decrease catheter-relatedbloodstreaminfectionsintheICU.NEnglJ Med.2007Jun21;356(25):2660.Availableat:www.nejm. org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa061115#t=articleTop. 16. Purdy, Cindy. “Ergonomics” e-mail. E-mail to AmyRDH group. August 14, 2012. 17. Gilkey, D. Occupational Ergonomics Certificate. 2012. Available at: www.ramct.colostate.edu/webct. hygiene 1_2012 Judy Bendit, RDH, BS, left, and Patti DiGangi, RDH, BS, are national speakers who created and present Creat- ing a Flight Plan Beyond the Routine. The one-of-a-kind program includes topics such as electronic health records, risk assessment, instrumenta- tion and ergonomics to name a few. They are presenting “Flight Plan: Checklists” in its new format during the Yankee Dental Congress, www.yankeedental.com, in January. Contact DiGangi at pdigangi@comcast.net or Bendit at JZBeducate@aol. com. _about the authors hygiene Table 2_ Checklist for buying a new chair