Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

B ack pain, one of the principal causes of oc- cupational disability in the dental industry, is often at- tributed to poor posture, usu- ally occasioned by an incorrect working position. The tradi- tional sitting position adopted by dental professionals can have an iatrogenic effect on the spine, which in turn causes vertebrae problems, often in the lumbar region. Constant bending or twisting also con- tributes to back problems. While it has always been accepted that the patient must be comfortable and relaxed during treatment, the comfort of the dental team has often been overlooked. A recent industry survey of musculoskeletal (MSK) disor- ders among dental profession- als found that between 64 and 93 per cent of the respondents suffered MSK pain. Dentists reported pain chiefly in the back (36 to 60 per cent) and neck (20 to 85 per cent), while hygienists were most affected in the wrists and hands (60 to 70 per cent).1 It was once thought that the failure of dental equipment designers to fully understand ergonomic principles was a key contributor to a potentially damaging working posture. Today’s manufacturers create solutions, which adapt to the requirements of the user, of- fering treatment chairs, dental units, handpieces, cabinetry and dentists’ stools with safe ergonomics at the heart of their design. Designers also take account of the dentist’s need to move freely around the patient, and that access to instruments and surgery equipment must be arranged to minimise actions which could potentially lead to muscle strain. All dentists should be aware of the two primary con- siderations inherent in a safe working position; comfort and possible health risks, and the appropriate and convenient positioning of equipment and instruments. Comfort and health Although all dentists will natu- rally adopt a working position which suits their own pref- erence, physicality and state of health, a symmetrical, up- right posture that does not over- load the musculoskeletal struc- tures or put added stress on the spinal column is the recom- mended ideal. Some movement around the treatment chair is inevita- ble, but remaining as much as possible behind the patient’s shoulder will help to avoid twisting of the upper body and neck. Making many small movements during treatment will further reduce the risk of muscle strain. It is also impor- Ergonomic Surgery Seating Design Gianluca Soldati discusses the essential backbone for a safe working posture page 16DTà ‘While it has always been accepted that the patient must be comfortable and relaxed during treatment, the comfort of the dental team has of- ten been overlooked 15FeatureMay 16-22, 2011United Kingdom Edition R4Practice Management Software GIVES YOU MORE For more information or to place an order please call 0800 169 9692 email sales.uk.csd@carestream.com or visit www.carestreamdental.co.uk Carestream Dental © Carestream Dental Ltd., 2011. featuReS of R4 R4 Mobile Direct link to PIN pad Patient Check-in Kiosk Care Pathways Communicator Steritrak e-forms Patient Journey On-line Appointment Booking Text Message and Email reminders Clinical Notes Appointment Book Digital X-Ray Managed Service Practice Accounts STERITRAK - tracks your instruments through the sterilisation process Track your trays of instruments through the cleaning and sterilisation process so that you can prove compliance with CQC outcome 8. Easy to learn straight out of the box with minimal set up, Steritrak provides immediate access to reports showing the cleaning and sterilisation history of each tray of instruments as well as the tray history for each machine in the practice. With R4 you will also be able to record which trays of instruments have been used on each patient for each appointment, even if multiple trays were used. Standard reports within R4 will show which patients a specific tray has been used on within a specified period of time, as well as the tray history for a specific patient. Steritrak is another solution from Carestream which helps you achieve full CQC compliance and gets rid of the need for multiple paper log books and the pressures of ensuring information is updated regularly and kept secure.