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Pain In The Back
For Back Care Week, 12 - 18 October, Bob McIntyre provides some posture tips to prevent you from developing back problems common to many dentists.

At some time or another during your career as a dentist it is likely that you'll suffer from pain in your lower back, shoulders or neck.

Four-handed dentistry, water cooled air-rotors and increasingly intricate, time-consuming treatment means many dentists and staff spend many hours seated in front of their patients, often bent over, performing precision tasks. Not surprisingly 80 percent of dentists suffer from back pain at some point during their career.

Chronic back, neck and shoulder pain can necessitate time off work or, even, premature retirement. This problem is exacerbated if a slouched position is also adopted.

Ideally, dentists should make use of a stool that requires them to be seated so that their feet are flat on the ground with their thighs sloping slightly downwards. It is important that their back is well supported. (Click here to view bad and good seated postures) Whilst working, their forearms should be roughly horizontal and the neck slightly bent without undue arching of the back. The assistant needs a clear view of the operating site, so their chair should be positioned about 10cm higher than the dentist's, with their feet resting on a foot ring.

Failure to adopt an ergonomic position not only results in backache and other posture-related problems of the elbow, eyes, upper arm, shoulder, foot, forearm and neck, but it can also result in mental health and stamina problems. Operators with back pain tend to limit themselves to a peek-in-the-mouth treatment style rather than providing patients with peak performance. However, health and safety research from Cornell University shows that utilising an ergonomically designed stool helps reduce these problems by as much as 50 percent.

Work by Dr C. Mandal, a Danish orthopaedic surgeon and doyen in ergonomics, has encouraged engineers to develop a special seat mechanism: a synchronised forward and backward tilting chair designed mainly for performing precision work in a forward bent position, such as dentistry. This action helps to stabilise the operator in the optimum position for comfort and efficiency. Dr Daryl Beach, from Japan, supports this research by stressing that 'performance starts with the spine' and 'maintaining the physiologic curves of the erect vertebral column transecting the centre of gravity allows for maximum performance.'

Ideally, the stool should be fully adjustable and designed to hold the dentist in the correct anatomical posture with their pelvis tilted forward whilst allowing their spine to hold its natural 'S' shape at all times, even when leaning forward. The stool should also incorporate an anatomically shaped seat and back, and a free-floating action that follows the dentist's movements to and fro. The option of an armrest is also important. Some armrests can hold the operator's mirror hand in place, whilst allowing freedom of movement and support. Other armrests allow flexibility of movement for the instrument hand whilst supporting the arm. These benefits can be particularly important during precision procedures.

Support Stools ergonomically designed stools are available in an extensive range of colours and material finishes (click here to view). They enable dentists and their staff to enjoy the long-term health benefits of an ergonomically designed chair stool whilst matching the practice's décor.

For further information on the full range of ergonomic stools telephone Support Stool direct on 01296 581764 or contact your dental supplier.