Work Related Complaints among Dentists

• Main Authors: Bikram Prasad Shrestha, GK Singh, SR Niraula
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nepal Medical Association 2008-04-01
• Series: Journal of Nepal Medical Association
• Online Access: http://jnma.com.np/jnma/index.php/jnma/article/view/317

The objective of this study was to describe the occurrence of neck pain, shoulder pain and back pain among dentists and to assess the risk factors affecting them. Sixty-eight dentists from Dharan and Biratnagar were interviewed using pretested questionnaires in January 2006. Back pain was the most common complaint affecting almost 80% of the study population, followed by neck pain (58.8%) and shoulder pain (47%). The frequency of shoulder pain among female dentists was nearly double that of males (P=0.009). The mean days of neck pain among males was significantly higher as compared to females (P=0.048). The study suggests that musculoskeletal complaints are commonamongdentists,thoughtheyarenot of severenature.There is a scope forfurtherdecreasingtheprevalence andseverityofthesedisordersbyperformingregular specific exercises. Key words: back pain, dentists, neck pain, shoulder pain