Investigation of Posture Assessment Methods in Dentists and Dental Students: A Systematic Review

Awkward posture is a primary cause of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the dental profession due to the nature of dental activities. This study aimed to examine both observational and device-assisted posture assessment methods used to study dental professionals as well as the reported prevalence of MSDs among them.

A search was conducted in Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases for studies performed from 2000 to 2021 using specified keywords. In total, 31 out of the 541 articles found in the initial search were finally included in this study after the exclusion of ineligible articles, duplicates, conference presentations, systematic reviews, and letters to the editor.

Based on the findings, the neck (58%), back and waist (54.9%), and shoulder and hand (29%) areas had the highest reported pain and disorder. Several posture evaluation methods, namely Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (19.4%), Rapid Entire Body Assessment  (19.4%), Electromyography (EMG, 13.8%), and Quick Exposure Check (QEC, 8.3%), were the most frequently used methods among all 17 methods employed in the studies.

Among the observational methods, the QEC method was the most practical one as it considered the experiences of dentists and various dimensions of dental tasks. Moreover, the EMG method was the most suitable device-assisted method for the assessment of posture in dentists. The use of questionnaires in conjunction with evaluation methods appears to enhance the understanding and effectiveness of posture assessment.