Assessing the Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Posture Conditions during Work Time of Dentists in a Dentistry Clinic affiliated to a Military College in Tehran in 2017

Musculoskeletal disorders related to work are one of the main causes of disability in the dentistry profession. Long term adoption of a repeated position, repetitive movements and inappropriate posture are risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders and need to be addressed. The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and inappropriate posture at the dentistry clinic of a military college
In this study, 66 dentists of the dental clinic affiliated with a military college were evaluated by REBA (a method for quick assessment of the body) and the Nordic musculoskeletal disorders questionnaire to assess the body while working. SPSS software version 18 were used to analyze the data.
This population study included 29 men and 37 women with a mean age of 40.83 years who had worked for an average of 14.56 years in the dentistry clinic. REBA score in 56.1% of dentists was in the high-risk range, 39.4% was in the medium-risk range and 4.5% were in the high-risk range.
Over the past 12 months, the most prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and discomfort in different areas was observed in the neck (66%). There was a statistically significant relationship between the loss of ability to perform daily activities during the past 12 months and gender and reduced working time due to musculoskeletal discomfort (P≤0.05).
The results showed that the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in the dentistry clinic is high, particularly in the neck. In order to reduce problems, corrective actions should be taken as soon as possible.