Top tips for preventing musculoskeletal disorders and optimising posture for dental professionals

There cannot be many members of the dental team who have not suffered from musculoskeletal aches and pains on a regular basis, but little emphasis is placed on this area of health and its effect on the dental team.1 Dental professionals are one of the highest risk groups for developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSD).2 Neck, back, shoulder and wrist pain are most commonly reported amongst dentists, dental therapists and dental hygienists.3

To ensure a successful and lengthy career, looking after our health, both physical and mental is vital. Dentistry is a physically demanding profession, with clinicians having to adopt static positions for extended periods of time to facilitate good vision and access. Reduced productivity, frequent absences and early retirement have all been correlated to MSD-related pain.4 When investigating causes of ill-health retirement within dentistry, MSDs were reported to be the most common cause.5,6 Therefore, it is crucial that dental professionals are equipped with tools to prevent and manage MSDs as the long-term consequences can be severe.

In this article we provide a series of practical tips to minimise MSDs and improve posture for all members of the dental team. The tips are borne from years of experience and observation of serious ill effect when good posture in clinical practice is ignored.