Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in primary care dentists

Rayssa Nogueira De Sousa Silva,Jose Mario Nunes Da Silva

doi:10.5935/1806-0013.20170106

Rayssa Nogueira De Sousa Silva, Jose Mario Nunes Da Silva

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5935/1806-0013.20170106

Copy DOI

Journal: Revista Dor	Publication Date: Jan 1, 2017
Citations: 2	License type: cc-by

Abstract

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Dentistry is among the occupational categories that most inflicts its practitioners to a series of risk factors to develop musculoskeletal disorders, especially the maintenance of static postures, repetitive activities, long work days, poorly designed work environment, stress and handling of chemical and biological materials. The objective of this study was to analyze the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal pain in primary care dentists. METHODS: The sample consisted of 167 primary care dentists, who answered questionnaires relating to musculoskeletal pain, social-demographic data, lifestyle, occupational characteristics, fatigue and ability to work. RESULTS: The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain was high for upper limbs (38.3%), lower limbs (34.7%) and on the back (27.5%). The was a statistical association in the three body segments, with family income, associated morbidities, daily and weekly working time, the perception of fatigue, and ability to work. CONCLUSION: The studied sample showed a high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain, which serves as a warning flag to the adoption of public policies to improve the working conditions of the dentists surveyed.

Highlights

Among the healthcare professions exposed to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMD), Dentistry fits the category most associated with these painful symptoms, especially in the cervical and lumbar regions, and the upper limbs (UL)[1,2]
Araújo e Silva[17] point out that preventive measures should be taken, because the work environment of these professionals exposes them to ergonomic risk factors that may lead to the development of WRMD
The results of the present study are similar to the study of Santos and Vogt[18], who noticed in their study that 58.0% of the interviewees complained about pain, with prevalence in the neck region (20.0%), followed by the shoulder (17.0%) and thoracic and/or lumbar spine (21.0%)

Summary

Introduction

Among the healthcare professions exposed to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMD), Dentistry fits the category most associated with these painful symptoms, especially in the cervical and lumbar regions, and the upper limbs (UL)[1,2]. This is mainly due to static, inflexible postures, repetitive activities, long working hours, poorly designed work place, chemical and biological materials handling and fatigue[3,4,5].

Objectives

Results

Conclusion