The study had two significant findings. First, it demonstrates that a low cost, change in dental tool handle shape and weight can reduce arm pain in dental hygienists and dentists. Dental tools are replaced every 5 to 10 years and dentists have a choice between the types of dental scaling tools they order for themselves and their dental hygienists. Dentists make decisions on which tools to buy based on many issues, such as brand familiarity, cost, longevity, etc. This study provides information on employee health that may influence the dentists decision on which tool to buy. Second, the study demonstrates that findings from short-term biomechanical studies in the laboratory can predict long-term health effects in workers. In this case, previous laboratory studies found that a light-weight, large diameter dental scaler reduced pinch force by approximately 30% compared to the traditional, heavier and narrow tool. Models of risk for musculoskeletal disorders predict that a reduction in pinch force reduces risk for upper extremity disorders. This RCT study confirms that the use of a tool that decreases pinch force in laboratory studies leads to reduced arm pain when the tool is used over a four month period in an epidemiologic intervention study.
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