Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms of the neck and upper extremity in dentists

摘要

Work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) have been frequently reported among dentists and dental hygienists. Dentists are exposed to WMSD risk factors of repetitive motion, force, vibration, and prolonged awkward postures. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of work-related neck and upper extremity disorders among dentists in China and to identify important factors for these problems. A 62-item questionnaire survey was conducted by the stratified random sample based on location and hospital grade among the 52 of all 117 hospitals in Guangzhou city of China. The results have demonstrated very high prevalence rates of neck and upper limb musculoskeletal symptoms in dentists in Chinese urban hospitals. In particular the neck prevalence rate and symptom score is alarmingly high. These findings indicate that the dentists are frequently suffering these symptoms in the neck, shoulder, elbow and wrist/hand in their daily work.