12 INDUSTRY Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | 2/2021 Ergonomics and wellness at work Tips for relieving and preventing the aches and pains of working as a dental professionals By Hu-Friedy Does your body hurt more than usual? Dentistry has always been a profes- sion that taxes the mind and the body. But you may be noticing a few more physical aches and pains lately, especially if you are hand scaling— instead of using ultrasonics—to re- duce aerosol production. If you’re like most dentists, it’s not just your hands, wrists, and arms that hurt. Your daily work can also take a toll on your back, neck, shoul- ders, and legs. Dentists are at risk for conditions such as carpal tunnel syn- drome, repetitive motion injuries, and even chronic headaches. This pain can strike at any point dur- ing your career: Between 64% and 93% of dental professionals experi- ence general musculoskeletal pain. In fact, musculoskeletal disorders are the leading reason for early retire- ment among dentists. What causes musculoskeletal pain and how can you prevent it? Repeat the same motions from pa- tient to patient, day in and day out, often in awkward positions is a rec- ipe for pain and physical disorders that can derail a career. Here are three ways to avoid pain and repetitive stress injuries: 1. Better positioning (for yourself and your patients) Ergonomic equipment Simple wellness exercises instruments and 2. 3. Proper posture and patient po- sitioning The less bending, hunching, twisting, craning, leaning, or reaching you do, the less tension you’ll put on your muscles, joints, and bones. The proper position for working with a patient is seated, with your spine in a neutral position and your shoulders relaxed. Work as close to the patient as possible to avoid over- extending your arms or back, and always face the patient. Keep your feet fl at on the fl oor and adjust your stool’s height so your thighs slope slightly downward. Think of yourself as a tripod, with your weight evenly distributed through each foot and your buttocks. If you need a better view of the pa- tient’s oral cavity, ask the patient to turn their head, and use HD mirrors to improve visibility. Keep your in- struments at roughly arm’s height and within a 21-inch radius of your- self. The patient’s body position also has a tremendous impact on your ergonomics. According to RDH Magazine, the patient should ideally be positioned supine for treating the upper arch and semi-supine for the lower arch, but this practice is often impractical due to time constraints. Instead, they recommend position- ing the back of the patient’s chair at a 10- to a 15-degree angle from the fl oor. Then, use a contoured dental neck cushion to achieve the proper orientation of the occlusal plane. Be sure to ask your patients to scoot to the end of the headrest. This will eliminate the need to reach over the empty space on the headrest. than the next leading competitor and remain 50% sharper after 500 strokes. Wellness exercises to relieve and prevent pain Before you undertake any physical activity—from a morning run to a day of treating patients—it’s always a good idea to warm up your joints and muscles. Dental hygiene blogger Whitney DiFoggio (writing as “Teeth Talk Girl”) recommends a set of daily stretches for dental professionals that target the wrists, neck, shoul- ders, and back. DiFoggio writes that she tries to stretch as often as possible, between appointments and any time there’s a chance to move around. “A great time to stretch is when you’re go- ing in and out of the room to take an FMX,” she says. A regular yoga practice can also help you maintain your fi tness for work—and you don’t have to attend in-person classes to reap the benefi ts. Countless high-quality yoga videos are available for free online, such as the popular Yoga With Adrienne se- ries on Amazon Prime. Notably, this series includes a video of yoga tips for the hands. You’re not suffering alone Keep in mind there’s no shame in feeling pain, and you’re far from the only one to experience this. The good news is that a few changes to your routine, posture, instruments, or fi tness regimen can do wonders for your body and can potentially add years of injury-free practice to your career. References 1. Mj Hayes 1, D Cockrell, D R Smith, A systematic review of musculo- skeletal disorders among dental professionals, Int J Dent Hyg. 2009 Aug;7(3):159-65. 2. Manohar Bhat, Tahir Mohammed, Nikita Bansal, and Gaurav Gupta, Er- gonomics in Dentistry, Int J Clin Pedi- atr Dent. 2014 Jan-Apr; 7(1): 30–34 All company and product names are trademarks of Hu-Friedy Mfg. Co., LLC, its affi liates or related compa- nies, unless otherwise noted. Follow us on @HuFriedyEU @hu_friedy_europe @Hu-Friedy Mfg. Co., LLC.EU For more information, visit www.hu-friedy.eu. Hu-Friedy Mfg. Co., LLC. European Headquarters Astropark - Lyoner Str. 9 60528 Frankfurt am Main E-Mail: info@hu-friedy.eu Tel.: +49 (0)69 24753640 Fax: +49 (0)69 25577015 Free Call: 0080048374339 y d e i r F - u H © Ergonomic instruments and equipment Ergonomics should be a key consid- eration when choosing dental in- struments and equipment for your practice. support. It should allow for a space of three fi nger-widths behind your knee. If your stool has a tilting fea- ture, tilt the seat forward between 5 and 15 degrees. (If not, use an ergo- nomic wedge cushion.) The Operator Stool From an ergonomic perspective, the operator stool is the most important chair in the treatment room. Proper positioning begins by adjusting the stool fi rst and the patient second. Your stool should be adjustable, with adequate lumbar, thoracic, and arm AD Saddle-seat stools may be the ideal option – especially for shorter peo- ple. This type of stool maintains your pelvis in a neutral position and al- lows the optimal curve of your spine. Lighting Another helpful piece of ergonomic equipment is a loupe with a built-in headlight. Loupes provide magnifi - cation so you don’t have to bend to see the patient’s oral cavity better. Headlights move with your gaze, eliminating the need (and annoy- ance) to continually readjust the overhead light. Instrumentation The instruments you choose can also make a signifi cant difference. Look for an instrument with an ideal weight and large diameter that pro- vides a textured grip surface. These instruments will be easier to maneu- ver and cause less hand fatigue while probing, scaling, and root planing. The science behind ergonomic de- sign matters too. The new Harmony Ergonomic Scalers and Curettes are a good example. The result of a cutting-edge iterative research and development process that analysed over 2.8 million data points, the Harmony Scaler reduces pinch force up to 65% and pressure on the tooth by 37%. The handle fea- tures a recessed double-helix texture for optimal tactile sensitivity with less tactile fatigue. The silicone grip has been extended 30% to provide a secure and nimble grasp. Another important factor in instru- ment ergonomics is the sharpness of the blade. Sharp scalers require less force to do the same amount of work, which can help both you and your patient be more comfortable. Harmony Scalers and Curettes fea- ture EverEdge 2.0 Technology. With EverEdge 2.0 Technology, working ends are 72% sharper out-of-the-box