The benificial effect of simple exercises on hand function in dentists

What is it about?

Dentistry is a profession where performance is restricted to an area covering only a few tens of millimetres of the mouth requiring repeated and precise force applications. These situations strictly demand a fixed posture that can create debilitating upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders among dentists with a prevalence rate of 64% to 93%. A healthy dentist is a pre-requisite for a successful dental practice and ergonomics is its core principle. It is one of the most effective tools by which the workplace can be optimized where in several factors like environment, equipment, positioning, performance and instrument design synergize to eliminate the risk of cumulative injury. To reduce the risk of these injuries, various hand and finger stretches may be performed prior to commencement of SRP which may amplify the efficacy of the scaling strokes and also reduce excessive strain and fatigue of the finger musclesThe exercises were introduced for one group of dental students, while the other group did not learn any new exercises. The finger strength was assessed for both groups with the help of a caliberated pinch gauge Jamar dynamometer The students in both these groups worked for limited time duration. Post their session, the finger strength was checked again.

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Why is it important?

Teaching the biomechanical principles of instrumentation, followed by practical application of the principles at the clinical level, may help lessen the risk for developing musculoskeletal symptoms among dental and dental hygiene students. These may include specific training on reducing peak pinch force during SRP and relaxing the pinch grip between tooth areas. Risk of developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders can be reduced by performing a few simple, non-invasive chair-side stretches coupled with selection of appropriate instruments and modifying work practice by carefully scheduling patients with heavy calculus and taking suitable breaks should be undertaken.

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