Balancing the strain: The dual burden of musculoskeletal discomforts and mental workload in dentists

Dentists often adopt static and awkward postures, resulting in a high prevalence of musculoskeletal discomforts and discomfort. Additionally, some experience significant mental workload. This study investigates the relationship between improper body postures, musculoskeletal discomforts (MSDs), and mental workload among general dentists.

This cross-sectional study involved 77 general dentists in Isfahan, Iran in 2024. The Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) tool and the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) evaluated ergonomic postures and MSDs, while the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) assessed mental workload. Data analysis was conducted using Pearson correlation in SPSS version 26.

Among the participants, 57.1 % were classified as having a high ergonomic risk level. Inferential analyses using Pearson correlations identified key relationships. A significant positive correlation was found between RULA scores and neck MSDs (r = 0.246, p = 0.031). Overall mental workload correlated significantly with MSDs in the right forearm (r = 0.293, p = 0.010) and neck (r = 0.221, p = 0.050). Among workload dimensions, temporal demand exhibited the strongest correlation with neck MSDs (r = 0.502, p < 0.001) and also correlated with RULA scores (r = 0.260, p = 0.024). Other notable positive correlations included neck MSDs with mental demand (r = 0.221, p = 0.053, showing a descriptive trend) and effort (r = 0.254, p = 0.026), although overall workload was not associated with RULA scores. These findings support hypotheses linking ergonomic risk to MSD prevalence and mental workload to increased ergonomic strain and discomfort, consistent with broader literature on occupational health in dentistry.

This study explored the relationship between awkward postures, musculoskeletal discomfort, and mental workload among dentists. Despite the absence of severe musculoskeletal symptoms, the high ergonomic risk indicates potential future problems. Dentists reported considerable temporal demand, which was significantly correlated with ergonomic risk, underscoring the impact of time pressure on their practice.