The Effects of Periodontal Instrument Handle Design on Hand Muscle Load and Pinch Force

Details

• Personal Author:
  Barr A ; Dong H ; LaRoche C ; Loomer P ; Rempel D ; Young E
• Description:
  Background. In comparison with people in other occupations, dentists and dental hygienists are at increased risk of developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders, including carpal tunnel syndrome. An important risk factor in dental practice is forceful pinching, which occurs during dental scaling. Ergonomically designed dental instruments may help reduce the prevalence of MSDs among dental practitioners. Methods. In the authors' study, 24 dentists and dental hygienists used 10 custom-designed dental scaling instruments with different handle diameters and weights to perform a simulated scaling task. The authors recorded the muscle activity of two extensors and two flexors in the forearm with electromyography, while thumb pinch force was measured by pressure sensors. Results. Handle designs of periodontal instruments had significant (P < .05) effects on hand muscle load and pinch force during a manual scaling task. The instrument with a large diameter (10 millimeters) and a light weight (15 grams) required the least amount of muscle load and pinch force. There was a limit to the effect of handle diameter, with diameters larger than 10 mm having no additional benefit; however, the study did not identify a limit to the effect of reducing the weight of the instrument, and therefore instruments lighter than 15 g may require even less pinch force. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Dental Offices Environmental Monitoring Ergonomics Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Periodontal Instruments Biological-effects Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Dentistry Dentists Electromyography Exposure-assessment Exposure-levels Exposure-methods Musculoskeletal-system Musculoskeletal-system-disorders Musculoskeletal Disorders Physiological-effects Physiological-response Risk-analysis Risk-factors Statistical-analysis Tool Design

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• ISSN:
  0002-8177
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  137
• Issue:
  8
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20037219
• Citation:
  J Am Dent Assoc 2006 Aug; 137(8):1123-1130
• Contact Point Address:
  David Rempel, MD, MPH, Division of Occupational Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 1301 South 46th St., Building 163, Richmond, CA 94804
• Email:
  david.rempel@ucsf.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2006
• Performing Organization:
  University of California, School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19990701
• Source Full Name:
  The Journal of the American Dental Association
• End Date:
  20040630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:50a2668d18886b26602cb25cfd21024f6a566af3b542054d84b918f03eadca0204836d318a26f9685fff4453863366b649a9db2af173237444325c8fd6079ec6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/188348/cdc_188348_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 485.18 KB ]