Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

Salli Systems Finland Tel. +358 10 270 1210 Posture. Comfort. Health. Sit Yourself Fit! info@salli.com Benefits of Salli Saddlechair: • shoulders and back are rehabilitated • moving and reaching become easier • sitting fatigue is reduced • visibility to the patient’s mouth improves The Dentistry Show Birmingham Stand C32 www.salli.com February 7-13, 2011United Kingdom Edition L ong working hours and bad ergonomics often lead to a number of sit- ting –originated ailments in den- tistry work. Bad working posture results in huge financial costs: reduced working hours, neces- sitating early retirement and an overall, poorer quality of life. Alarming numbers of European dentists -over 60%- have to re- tire earlier because of so called sitting disorders. Most people working in dentistry are affected by these disorders, whether they are aware of them or not. As new thinking has been needed to make working pos- tures healthier and more com- fortable in dental work, a new ergonomic design has emerged from Scandinavia: a saddle chair with a two-part width adjustable seat. The riding- like position with adjustable width saddle seat offers the user the possibility to tailor adjust the width to create the best possible sitting comfort for themselves. Most dentists and assistants are exposed to a large physical workload every day. In particu- lar, the back, neck and shoul- ders are strained as a result of static working posture and bad sitting. When sitting on a traditional chair with a back rest or on a dental stool, it is not possible or at least it is very difficult to main- tain straight posture for longer than a few minutes. The reason behind this is simple: when the angle between the upper body and thighs is only approximate- ly 90º, it is quite impossible to maintain upright posture as it requires keeping the pelvis tilted slightly forward. On the con- trary, many dentists and assist- ants tend to sit with the pelvis tilted backwards, “relaxed” and round-backed position, which in the long run causes back pain and tension. What is healthy sitting? The ideal sitting position is achieved when the spine is in an upright position and at the same time the natural lower back curve (lordose) is maintained. For the spine this is the natural and unloaded position where the spine has optimal circula- tion and no nerves are pressing the discs, and at the same time shoulders and arms are relaxed. Nonetheless, sitting straight is only possible if the design of the seat allows the pelvis to tilt forward. A saddle chair is a good solution since the riding position creates upright posture, howev- er, on a traditional one-part sad- dle chair pressure is focused on the pelvic area, which is not only uncomfortable but can be harm- ful as well. Benefits of Adjustable two- part saddle seat in practical dental work The two-part saddle seat has many favorable effects on the daily work of dental profession- als. In addition to diminishing shoulder and neck tension, the blood and fluid circulation in the lower limbs is activated, which, in turn, prevents swell- ing and numbness. As the angle of the knee joint is wider, the knees are also less stressed. Breathing deepens and one can feel energetic even after a long working day. When sitting on a saddle chair, one can place the feet partly underneath the patient’s chair, thus allowing the dis- tance to the working area to be shorter. When one sits upright with the arms free and relaxed near the sides, many of the work positions that earlier felt diffi- cult become easier, because the muscles in the neck and shoul- ders no longer get strained. This work position is also very good when performing operations that require precision and care, because the visibility of the pa- tient’s mouth is better. Moving during the operation is effort- less, because the chair rolls with you and your feet are never in the way. The Finnish company Salli Systems pays special attention to sitting health and comfort in its research and development. Divided Salli saddle chairs are showcased at NEC, Birmingham from the 4th to 5th of March. www.salli.com Innovative Scandina- vian design is best for dental ergonomics Salli Saddle Chair Standing Traditional Chair Spine evaluation with Spinal Mouse-medical device This is a company promotion