Assessment of ergonomic education in dental hygiene curricula

An investigation was conducted to determine the existence and extent of ergonomic education in dental hygiene curricula to prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). A survey was mailed to the 216 accredited dental hygiene programs in the United States with items addressing demographics, existence and extent of basic and additional ergonomic education, continuing education sponsorship, and incidence of musculoskeletal pain in students. The majority of dental hygiene programs provide basic ergonomic education (patient/operator positioning and instrumentation), but additional education (beyond patient/operator positioning and instrumentation; for example, body mechanics or preventive exercises) is generally unavailable or available only on a limited basis to dental hygiene students. The most frequently cited reasons for the lack of additional education were a lack of space in the current curricula and that this type of education was never discussed as a possibility. Integration of ergonomic education in dental hygiene curricula may help prevent MSDs in dental hygienists by enabling them to begin their dental hygiene careers with awareness of MSDs and good ergonomic work habits.