Trapezius muscle activity in using ordinary and ergonomically designed dentistry chairs

Area of Science:

• Ergonomics
• Dental Medicine
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Dentists frequently experience musculoskeletal disorders.
• Prolonged static posture and inadequate rest contribute to these issues.
• Physical and psychological factors also play a role in dental-related pain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel ergonomic dental chair design.
• The chair features integrated forward-leaning chest and arm supports.
• Assessing the impact of this design on physical strain and user preference.

Main Methods:

• Laboratory-based task simulation with electromyography (EMG) analysis.
• EMG measurements of trapezius muscle activity in 12 male students.
• Subjective assessment by 30 professional dentists using an 18-item questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Significant reduction in trapezius muscle EMG activity (p<0.05) was observed.
• The ergonomically designed chair received unanimous preference from participating dentists.
• Objective EMG data correlated with subjective positive feedback.

Conclusions:

• The evaluated ergonomic chair effectively mitigates physical strain in dental tasks.
• Introducing such chairs early in dental education is recommended.
• Preventing poor postural habits can reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders in dentists.