Ergonomics Flashcards
What percent of dentists who retire early are forced to due to musculoskeletal disorders?
30%
How much money could be lost if a dentist is required to retire even 5 years early?
$1,000,000
How many hours in a lifetime of working is a dentist in tense/distorded positions?
60,000 hours
How much money is lost per day due to muscular issues?
$800-$1400
What are the goals of ergonomics?
- Prevent the standard of care to the patient
- Increase safety and productivity
- Enhance performance by elimanating unnecessary effort
- Improve the standard care of the patient
What are the symptoms of MSDs?
Excessive fatigue in the shoulders
and neck
Tingling, burning or other pain in
arms
Weak grip, cramping of hands
Numbness in fingers and hands
Clumsiness and dropping of objects
Hypersensitivity in hands and
fingers
What is a micro trauma?
microscopic damage that occurs daily to certain parts of your musculoskeletal system
What are the most common CTDs?
chronic low back pain
tension neck syndrome
trapezius myalgia
What is chronic low back pain caused by?
poor seated posture and
weak stabilizing trunk muscles
What is tension neck syndrome caused by?
result of a forward head posture
What is trapezius myalgia caused by?
pain, tenderness from sustained contraction in upper trapezius muscle. Often from chronic elevation of the shoulders
What is rotor cuff impingement caused by?
shoulder pain from over-reaching, and a sustained arm elevation
What is carpal tunnel syndrome caused by?
medial nerve compression in the wrist from a flexed wrist posture, a forceful grip and/or gripping instruments with small diameters
What percent of dental students from all four years experience neck, shoulder, and back pain?
46-71%
What percent of dental students reported pain by their 3rd year?
more than 70%
What are the 3 P’s to fitness in the operatory?
❖ Posture
❖ Positioning
❖ Periodic Stretching
How should you position yourself?
Maintain neutral position:
❖ Head at 0-20 tilt-ears over shoulders
❖ Shoulders over hips
❖ Elbows relaxed at sides
❖ Forearms parallel to the floor or slightly upward
❖ Slight curve in lower back/lordosis
❖ Hip angle >90- ideally 105-125*
❖ Feet flat on floor in tripod position
What is a neutral seated position?
❖ Forearms parallel to the floor.
❖ Weight evenly balanced.
❖ Hips higher than knees-110 degrees.
❖ Seat height positioned low enough so that you are able to rest the heels of your feet on the floor.
❖ Have a tripod effect-legs and torso.
What is a neutral neck position?
❖ Head tilt of 0° to 15°
❖ The line from eyes to the treatment area should be as near to vertical as possible.
The head weighs 8-10 pounds, and for every one inch the head tilts forward, the load on neck and muscles _______
doubles
What is neutral shoulder position?
❖ Shoulders in horizontal line.
❖ Weight evenly balanced when seated.
What is neutral back position?
❖ Leaning forward slightly from the waist or hips.
❖ Trunk flexion of 0° to 20°
What is neutral upper arm position?
❖ Upper arms hang parallel to the long axis of torso.
❖ Elbows at waist level held slightly away from body.
What is a neutral forearm position?
❖ Parallel to the floor.
❖ Raised or lowered, if necessary, by pivoting at the elbow joint.
How should you position the patient to maintain neutral position?
❖ Recline the patient: supine for maxillary, semi-supine for mandibular
❖ Adjust headrest
❖ Adjust chair height to maintain neutral position
❖ Ask patient to move head as needed
❖ Equipment placement within easy reach
❖ Light position to avoid shadowing
What is the importance of periodic stretching?
- microbreaks to allow repair to microtraumas
- chairside stretching
What are some examples of chair-side yoga stretches?
- hand clenching
- wrist bending
- shoulder rolls
- wing and prayer
Exercise or physical activity of all
kinds stimulates…
neurogenesis (the process by which new neurons are formed in the brain), partly due to the production of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor or BDNF
What are the benefits of magnification?
❖ Reduce strain on your eyes
❖ Improve the quality of care and diagnostics
❖ Improve your vision via greater magnification
❖ Increased comfort via proper ergonomics
There is significant improvement in visual acuity when using magnification in conjunction with a _________________________.
fiber optic light source
What does the ADA recommend for ear protection?
❖ Wear ear plugs or noise-cancelling headphones while using dental equipment
❖ When selecting dental equipment, consider its noise level
❖ Have hearing tested to establish a baseline
❖ Monitor your hearing acuity on a regular basis
What is acoustic trauma?
few exposures, intense sound level; ex: explosion
What is temporary threshold shift?
temporary hearing change following exposure to noise; ex: concert
What is a permanent threshold shift?
result of accumulation of exposure to noise repeated over years; irreversible; this is what we experience in dentistry
