Prevalence and Associated Factors of Musculoskeletal Disorders among Young Dentists in Indonesia

Introduction: Musculoskeletal problems are often work related. Dentists have been reported to have a high prevalence of musculoskeletal problems. Dentists have to perform repetitive tasks, often in awkward and nonergonomic positions in their practice. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Five-hundred copies of Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire were distributed to dentists who participated in a congress of a regional branch of the Indonesian Dentist Association. Data such as sex, length of practice, the presence of assistance, smoking, occupational stress, body mass index, hand dominance, and exercise were collected. Dentist who had practised for more than five years were excluded. Results: Two hundred and forty-one respondents fulfilled the research criteria. Musculoskeletal symptoms occurred in 63.5% respondents. Fatigue and pain were the most common manifestations of musculoskeletal symptoms among dentists (36.5 and 24.9% respectively). Prolonged sitting was the most common aggravating factor (26.6%) while exercise successfully relieved symptoms in 35.3% of respondents. Neck, upper back and lower back were the most common sites involved with prevalence of 25.7, 22.4, and 20.7% respectively. Neck was also the most common site of the symptoms preventing normal work during the preceding 12 months (8.3%). Exercise and stress are associated with the presence of musculoskeletal symptoms (p=0.01 and p<0.01 respectively). Exercise is associated with fatigue (p<0.01) and click (p<0.01), stress is associated with pain (p=0.00), stiffness (p=0.00), fatigue (p<0.01), and discomfort (p<0.01). Conclusions: The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in young dentists is 63.5%. Neck is the most common affected region. Stress and exercise are the main associated factor for musculoskeletal problems in dentists.