Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among dentists and dental hygienists

Abstract

Background: A dentist should be able to maintain a good occupational posture for prolonged periods of time. Lack of any of these abilities causes hindrance in the performance of dental practice and productivity. MSD not only affects one’s physical but also psychosocial aspects of life and may lead to early retirement. Objectives: To assess self-reported prevalence of MSD among dentists and dental hygienists with respect to designation, specialties, and working conditions. Methodology: It was a cross-sectional study. After taking informed consent, designed survey questionnaire was distributed among two hundred and forty-six dental practitioners and hygienists, above twenty-two years old working in Dow University of Health Sciences. The samples were collected using convenience sampling technique. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21. The results were reported as frequencies and association of pain with wrong conditions and durations was reported using Chi-square test. Results: The pain is found to be greater in those above twenty-five years of age (p-value 0.045). Out of two hundred and forty-six research participants, 96.7% of postgraduates and faculty members reported musculoskeletal pain. Majority affected were above twenty-five years of age (97.4%, n=74). Females were slightly more affected more than males.