MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN AND ERGONOMIC ASPECTS OF DENTISTRY IN ROYAL MEDICAL SERVICES, JORDAN

Abstract

The past two decades have witnessed a sharp rise in the incidence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD). In this study the aim was to determine the prevalence of professional hazards among dentists in Jordanian Royal Medical Services. This is a cross-sectional study conducted on dental healthcare professionals working in Royal Medical Services using a modified Nordic questionnaire. The number of included participants was 82 doctors who were suitable to our inclusion criteria. Most of them (n= 49; 60%) were in ages between 25 to 34 years, and more than half of the respondents were females (n= 50; 61%). Most affected sites with pain among dentists were neck (n= 76; 92%), lower back (n= 73; 89%), and shoulder (n= 68; 83%). Furthermore, doctors who were working with flexed wrist position were suffering from hand/wrist pain significantly higher than those who were working with neutral wrist position. However, there was no significant association between the position of the neck (neutral position or bent forward) during the work and the pain of the neck.