Ergonomics

It's summer and time to hit the water-but several popular summer sports can actually exacerbate muscle imbalances in dental professionals. As I’ve written about before, dentists are prone to unique muscle imbalances. These imbalances can easily be exacerbated by certain recreational sports.

Hygienists put their bodies through a lot of wear and tear on the job, but there are steps that can be taken to help prevent some of the damage. Here's what one hygienist thought dentists should know.

Exploring the benefits of armrests for dental practitioners.

Not being mindful of ergonomics can lead to an unwanted, early retirement.

Scalene trigger points often fly under the radar of clinical treatment, but they can have serious consequences for dental professionals.

Having the right equipment – and knowing how to use it – is crucial.

Having the right equipment – and knowing how to use it – is crucial.

Backrests are an important consideration when selecting an operator stool.

These simple tweaks may prevent the chronic pain that often ends careers prematurely.

Taking a look at some of the top dental chairs and treatment units.

Understanding the differences between delivery systems can help you select the right one for your team.

Saddle up! Research has shown that a saddle-style stool could save your health-and your career.

For years, sitting with your hips at a 90-degree angle was thought to be ideal. But research suggests otherwise.

One of the biggest dangers for dentists is strain caused by awkward positioning, so we take a look at how to combat injury.

Your exercise routine may be the most damaging part of your lifestyle-are you making these critical mistakes in your workouts?

Selecting the correct loupes can make a big difference for your health.

A-dec consulted with dental professionals to optimize its new dental furniture line for improved workflow and efficiency, A-dec Inspire.

Ergonomic challenges in the front office rivals can often rival those in the dental operatory! Just as in many dental operatory scenarios, you don’t have to break the bank to ‘ergonomize’ your front office. Here are the top problems I encounter in dental front offices and easy, economical fixes.

The practice of dental hygiene wreaks havoc on the body. Although many ergonomic improvements for safely practicing clinical hygiene are available, most of us do not make it to retirement age working chairside, even part time. Do you have a plan, should you become disabled?

Naturally, you want your patient to be comfortable. However, when we compare how many hours a year the average patient spends reclined in a dental chair (several hours), with the time you spend hovering over the oral cavity (over 2000 hours), who is really at risk of developing discomfort or pain?

Dr. Roger Levin has personally spoken to numerous dentists who want to retire because they are exhausted, not because they’ve stopped enjoying dentistry. That's one of the problems with being out of shape.

Bethany Valachi, PT, MS, CEAS, offers you two exercises that can help your day at the dental practice go more smoothly.

Imagine hiring a personal trainer, participating in a CrossFit program or simply trying a new gym machine to help improve your musculoskeletal health, only to end up in more pain than when you started! Unfortunately, I hear numerous accounts of this occurring among dentists. Most healthcare professionals do not realize that dentists are predisposed to unique muscle imbalances-certain generic exercises, that are not a problem for the general population, can throw the dentist into a vicious pain cycle.

Your hands are integral to your work. Because of sustained grips and prolonged awkward postures dental professionals must employ throughout the day, they experience nearly four times the prevalence of hand, wrist and arm pain found in the general public.

You may or may not remember the huge marketing fail in 2012 that was the Bic For Her fiasco.

The i-CAT® FLX is designed to offer the most flexible imaging control of any cone beam 3D unit, allowing dental professionals to target the desired field of view on each patient while minimizing the radiation dose.

If you’re not seated properly during a procedure, it can become a tedious event that can take its toll on your back and backside by the end of the day.

Two out of three dental professionals report occupational pain - pain that if left unaddressed could progress to an injury or career-ending disability. From my 15 years of providing ergonomic consultations in dentistry, I can safely say that the following three ergonomic mistakes are among the primary reasons I see many dentists and hygienists develop debilitating pain syndromes and/or retire early.

Dr. Walker remembers vividly being in pain, sitting in the middle of an exam during her dental school days. Her shoulders hurt. Her back hurt. She could think of little other than counting the minutes until she could be done and lying flat on her back in her room.