[Research on the fatigue of dentists]

Fatigue of the dentist is mainly caused by his forced working posture. Although several studies of the cause of the fatigue and its recovery way have been done, it seems that they are not practically applied to the dental field. In this study authors obtained some basic information for the fatigue of dentists and analysed them in view point of the experience year and working posture of dentists. The results were as in the following: 1) Rate of dentists to feel the fatigue after dental treatment was 26.7% in "often" on the average, and 90% including such dentists as "occasionally". There was few difference between the fatigue and the experience year and working posture, except for a number of the dentists experienced below 10 years, who felt the fatigue in "occasionally". 2) The characteristics of physical parts for appearance of the fatigue were as follows. (1) In the standing working group, "languor" of crus and back in the dentist group experienced below 10 years, and "pain" of waist in the group experienced over 30 years were recognized. The complaints of the fatigue were not so complicated. (2) In the sitting working group, "stiffness", "pain" and "languor" of waist were recognized complicatedly. The fatigue of fingers and arms were recognized only in this working group of posture. (3) In the standing and sitting combined working group, "stiffness", "pain" and "languor" of waist were recognized complicatedly in the dentists experienced over 30 years, and their rates were in high degree.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)