Pain is not a necessary by-product of dentistry. You can reduce or eliminate your pain with targeted, evidence-based interventions!
Unfortunately, most dental and hygiene schools do not teach evidence-based ergonomics and wellness strategies.To make matters worse, the dental continuing education system is flooded with outdated, hand-me-down ergonomic education and sponsor-driven information that is creating a pain epidemic in the industry.
Effectively resolving work-related pain in dentistry requires correctly identifying the risk factors, and then targeting those risk factors with specific, evidence-based interventions. Due to the multi-factorial nature of work-related pain, rarely does a single intervention (i.e. purchasing a new set of loupes, strength training) permanently resolve pain issues.
It is also important to know the proper sequence in which to implement the interventions. Here is my first of 5 Steps to Practicing Dentistry Pain-free to help you work with less pain, improve your quality of life and extend your career.
STEP 1. ‘ERGONOMIZE’ YOUR OPERATORY. Imagine spending $1,500 on a pair of dental loupes, only to discover they are creating your neck pain! If you invest in non-ergonomic equipment, you only have 2 choices: live with it or buy more equipment–neither is a good option. Resolving ergonomics in your operatory is the first and foremost step in addressing work-related pain in dentistry, as it is often the etiology of the problem.
Correcting operatory ergonomics should be your first line of intervention in resolving work-related pain.
Some important questions to ask:
- How can I economically make ergonomic modifications to my operatory?
- How should I adjust the seat on my operator stool to prevent low back pain?
- Is my loupe declination angle improving or hurting the health of my neck?
- Does a backrest help prevent back pain?
- Where should my delivery system be positioned to prevent shoulder pain?
- What type of instruments & handpieces help prevent hand pain?
- What is the best clock position to treat my patients?
For example: One of the most common ergonomic mistakes I observe is TTL loupes with a poor declination angle that forces the operator into an unsafe forward head posture and causes neck pain. I have found that there is only one style of loupe on the market that consistently keeps all operators in a safe head posture.
Before you invest in ergonomic equipment, it is helpful to know which stools, loupes, instruments, gloves, delivery systems and chairs will benefit your health and not make it worse!
Learn all 5 steps to preventing work-related pain in dentistry! Get your FREE copy of Dr. Valachi’s book: “5 Steps to Practicing Dentistry Pain-free” at posturedontics.com
Hello Dr Valachi! After 12 years of practicing general clinical dentistry, using various ergonomically designed chairs, I decided to”go old
fashioned” and preform procedures standing up. Why?…more senior adults and children prefer not to be in the reclined position. I also had a large clinical surgical and fixed prosthodontic component in my practice.
For the next 30 years, while using scopes starting at 2.0 and eventually ending up with light assisted, 4.0 scopes and standing, I escaped the
neck and back issues prevalent in a lot of my contemporaries. I’ve also been physically active throughout my life. While I realize that
the manufacturers of $1000.00+ doctor dental chairs would be unhappy, could you provide me with research comparing doctor chair use/standing relating to positive long term health. Although now retired, I’m on a university dental school’s dean’s advisory council
and would like to give the council guidance in this important long term concern. Thank you!