Changes in posture: A case study of a dental hygienist's use of magnification loupes

Abstract

Evidence suggests that using magnification loupes will improve the posture of dental clinicians, thus decreasing work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this case study was to document the experiences of a dental hygienist during a four week acclimatization period. Methods: Documentation was comprised of self-reports from the dental hygienist's reflective journaling and postural measurements made by a trained observer using Branson's Posture Assessment Instrument (BPAI), a validated posture assessment instrument. Journal reports and postural measurements were made prior to the use of the magnification loupes and over the subsequent three week trial. Conclusion: Use of the magnification loupes was a positive experience. The BPAI results indicated a positive change in neck and low back posture. Further trials of the effectiveness of magnification loupes in reducing musculoskeletal disorders with this occupational group are recommended.

Assessment of risk factors and preventive measures and their relations to work-related musculoskeletal pain among dentists

“…We found the prevalence of pain was significantly higher among dentist who worked in non-ergonomic environment, used therapeutic chairs without lumbar support and armrests. It is well established that use of ergonomically designed equipment reduce muscular load and fatigue during work and can reduce risk of developing WMSDs [16,18,19]. On the contrary, the results from this study pointed out that previous knowledge about WMSDs was not well disseminated and implemented in a daily dental work.…”

“…Nowadays, use of the optical devices such as loupes and microscopes has increased in the dental profession which are associated with less awkward postures and decreased level of the static muscle load work in different work positions [18,19]. Interestingly, there are only a few studies conducted to assess preventive measures for reducing work-related MS pain in dentistry.…”

Musculoskeletal disorders among dental hygienist and students of dental hygiene

“…Serval studies have discussed specific ergonomic risk factors and preventive measures in the dentistry field . However, among the students that participated in the present study only 14% reported that they received ergonomic education, and the numbers were higher among the experienced dental hygienists but were still relatively low (40%).…”

The effect of loupes on neck pain and disability among dental hygienists

“…Loupes are an eyewear system of telescopes attached to lenses ( Fig. 1), which magnify the viewing field; in the case of dental clinicians, this means the teeth and the gingiva [24]. However, there appears to be no longitudinal studies or research using objective measures to support this innovation.…”

“…Current research into the effect of loupes appears to have been limited to self-reported measures of MSD through the use of questionnaires [18,27,28], or a single case study reporting a student's experiences [24]. To our knowledge, there is no contemporary research in the literature that has utilised triangulation methods to assess the effectiveness of using loupes on MSD in practising dental hygienists.…”