Dental care works and work-related complaints of dentists

To clarify the relationship between daily performed dental practices and work-related physical complaints by dentists, we examined 16 male dentists who worked at their clinic in an urban district. Each subject answered a questionnaire concerning work-related complaints and was examined by a time study of daily actions. The electromyograms of back muscles were taken from ten different positions. Approximately 62% of the daily practice was occupied by the dental care work. The dental care postures were classified into 3 types according to the inclination of the body. The most common posture was a right-forward position. The prevalence of complaints including problems with eyes, hands and arms, neck and shoulders and low back differed among 3 types. The order of complaints was neck and shoulders, eyes, and low back. The amplitude of the electromyograms was increased by the extension of the muscles to lateral bending of 30 degrees and internal rotation of 15 degrees. These results suggest that the body positions of daily dental care practices cause an increase in work-related complaints in dentists.