Ergonomic Comparison of Four Dental Workplace Concepts Using Inertial Motion Capture for Dentists and Dental Assistants

Daniela Ohlendorf, Laura Fraeulin, Jasmin Haenel, Werner Betz, Christina Erbe, Fabian Holzgreve, Eileen M. Wanke, Doerthe Brueggmann, Albert Nienhaus, Christian Maurer-Grubinger and David A. Groneberg
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Daniela Ohlendorf: Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Goethe-University, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Laura Fraeulin: Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Goethe-University, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Jasmin Haenel: Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Goethe-University, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Werner Betz: Department of Dental Radiology, Institute of Dentistry, Goethe-University, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Christina Erbe: Department of Orthodontics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
Fabian Holzgreve: Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Goethe-University, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Eileen M. Wanke: Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Goethe-University, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Doerthe Brueggmann: Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Goethe-University, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Albert Nienhaus: Principles of Prevention and Rehabilitation Department (GPR), Institute for Statutory Accident Insurance and Prevention in the Health and Welfare Services (BGW), 20246 Hamburg, Germany
Christian Maurer-Grubinger: Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Goethe-University, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
David A. Groneberg: Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Goethe-University, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-14

Abstract: When the inventory is arranged in a dental practice, a distinction can be made between four different dental workplace concepts (DWCs). Since the prevalence of musculoskeletal diseases in dental professionals is very high, preventive solution need to be investigated. As the conventionally used DWCs have, to date, never been studied in terms of their ergonomics, this study aims to investigate the ergonomic risk when working at the four different DWCs. In total, 75 dentists (37 m/38 f) and 75 dental assistants (16 m/59 f) volunteered to take part in this study. Standardized cooperative working procedures were carried out in a laboratory setting and kinematic data were recorded using an inertial motion capture system. The data were applied to an automated version of the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). Comparisons between the DWCs and between the dentists and dental assistants were calculated. In all four DWCs, both dentists and dental assistants spent 95–97% of their working time in the worst possible RULA score. In the trunk, DWCs 1 and 2 were slightly favorable for both dentists and dental assistants, while for the neck, DWC 4 showed a lower risk score for dentists. The ergonomic risk was extremely high in all four DWCs, while only slight advantages for distinct body parts were found. The working posture seemed to be determined by the task itself rather than by the different inventory arrangements.

Keywords: RULA; kinematic analysis; dental work concepts; dentist; dental assistant (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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