Neck Pain in Dental Education: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Neck Strength Differences

This study aimed to investigate if there are differences in neck strength between dental students in their fourth and fifth years, with and without neck pain. Neck muscle strength was assessed in flexion, extension, and lateral flexion to both sides using a handheld dynamometer while participants performed maximum voluntary isometric contractions with a make test procedure. Differences between groups were evaluated through a one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey's post hoc comparison. Forty-three students (twenty-one fourth-year and twenty-two fifth-year students) participated in the study. Fifth-year students with neck pain (P5) (n = 14) showed less strength (p = 0.018) compared to the no-pain group (NP) (n = 15) in neck flexion and lateral flexion for both sides (p < 0.001). The fourth-year symptomatic students (P4) (n = 14) showed reduced right lateral flexion strength compared to the NP group (p = 0.035). No significant differences were observed in neck extension across all groups (p = 0.085). Our research indicates a progressive decline in neck muscle strength in flexion and lateral flexion among students with neck pain over their training years. Our findings suggest that this may be linked to the increasing mechanical demands of clinical practice during training, potentially affecting muscle balance and cervical function. This pain could be associated with changes in motor behavior and reduced cervical muscle strength.