Ergonomics and musculoskeletal disorder: as an occupational hazard in dentistry.

OBJECTIVE Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are commonly experienced in dentistry. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of ergonomics and MSDs among dental professionals. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 170 dentists of different specialties. The questionnaire gathered information regarding demographic details, MSDs, work duration, working status, awareness of ergonomics, etc. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 15.0. Student's t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used for comparison in mean scores. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was used to assess the independent variables that significantly influenced the variance in the dependent variable (pain). RESULTS It was found that 73.9% of the participants reported musculoskeletal pain and most common painful sites were neck and back. More than half of the participants, i.e. 232 (59.3%) were aware of correct ergonomic posture regarding dental. Almost percentage of pain increased significantly with increase in age and working time. Among all specialties, prosthodontics were found to have more prevalence of MSDs. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The appearance of musculoskeletal symptoms among dental professionals was quite common. It suggested that ergonomics should be covered in the educational system to reduce risks to dental practitioners.