The perfect lecture for a

Women's Dental Society! 

• Why women feel more pain than men 
• Gender-specific interventions for neck/shoulder pain 
• Ergonomic equipment selection guidelines for women 
• Thumb Pain
• Hand/Wrist Pain 
• Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
• Hip pain
• 'Tennis Elbow"
• Fibromyalgia
• Osteoarthritis & Rheumatoid arthritis
• Ergonomics & pregnancy  

DOWNLOAD COURSE SYNOPSIS

 

April 13, 2013 - 

Midwest Dental Conference,

May 3-4, 2013 -

The TEXAS Meeting,

May 9, 2013 -
Southshore Study Club, Renton, WA

May 22, 2013 -

Southern Wake Dental Institute, Raleigh, NC

September 27, 2013 -
Dental Hygienist Alumni Assoc of JCCC, Overland Park, KS

October 26, 2013 -
University of British Columbia Cont. Dental Ed, Vancouver, B.C.

October 31-Nov. 2, 2013 -  ADA Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA

 VIEW SEMINAR DETAILS

The percentage of women pulling up chairside in the operatory is increasing.  And studies show that women in dentistry experience a higher frequency and severity of pain than their male counterparts.  The thumbs, hands, hips, neck & shoulder being particularly problematic.  When considering interventions for the female dental professional, there are dozens of considerations: workplace ergonomics, specific exercise, daily activities, clothing and much more.  In fact, there is so much information, I created a new seminar titled, "Demystifying Pain Among Women in Dentistry".  

Some highlights from the seminar are the focus of this newsletter:

• When do Women Need Armrests?  There are 3 general scenarios that necessitate armrests among women in dentistry.    
• Large chest or pregnancy - Anything that increases distance between the operator and the oral cavity causes excessive forward reaching with the arms.  Women with large chests can understandably have modesty issues and position themselves slightly further away from the patient.  This leads to extended reaching which can cause shoulder or upper back strain.  The strain can be minimized with armrests. 
• Short forearms - Women with short forearms are forced to reach forward beyond a safe working range.  The weight of the extended arm places high forces on the shoulder & upper back, which can lead to musculoskeletal problems.  
• Endodontists - Due to long procedures in one static position, endodontists should always have armrests.   
• What causes Pain in the 4th & 5th Fingers?  There are two common causes: thoracic outlet syndrome and cubital tunnel syndrome.  Thoracic outlet syndrome has a higher prevalence rate among women than men and is frequently misdiagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome.  Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a caused by entrapment of the brachial plexus and subclavian artery & vein,however compression of the neural structures is more common than the vascular structures.  Therefore, symptoms most often include sensory changes in the medial forearm/hand and into the 4th & 5th fingers.  Many MDs do not know the 4 diagnostic tests to differentiate thoracic outlet syndrome from carpal tunnel and end up referring TOS patients to a neurologist or surgeon. Ask your doctor for a referral to a Certified Hand Therapist for accurate diagnosis of this syndrome and also the most conservative course of action.  Since it is caused by forward head and rounded shoulder posture, ergonomic interventions are imperative to prevent and treat this syndrome, including proper loupe selection, patient positioning and strengthening .    
• What Causes Upper Trapezius Pain among Women in the Operatory? Because many women tend to be shorter in stature than men, a common ergonomic position problem arises.  Shorter women (or women with short torsos) cannot position the patient low enough and are forced to raise the shoulders while working.  This can cause 'rock hard' shoulders and trigger points in the upper traps.  A saddle stool is the easiest long-term solution to this problem.  By opening the hip angle, it allows lower positioning of the patient, with closer proximity.
• How Can Clothing Impact Women's Pain? - Women's bra straps can dig  into the upper trapezius muscle-compressing nerves, creating painful trigger points and headaches due to the weight of large breasts. Also, purses that are consistently slung over one shoulder, can cause unilateral strain in one trapezius muscle.Compression on the upper trapezius due to bra straps can be resolved with a sports-type, or racer-back, style bra with wide straps (left) that connect in the middle of the upper back. The weight is  translated to a wide support band around the ribs and may help reduce pain when worn during work. Single-shoulder purses, especially heavy ones, should be avoided. A backpack-style purse distributes the weight more evenly, and should be considered by female dentists.    
• What causes Hip Pain in Women Dental Professionals?    Hip pain in women is usually due to trochanteric bursitis, osteoarthritis, piriformis syndrome or rheumatoid arthritis.  All 4 conditions are more prevalent among women than men, and occupations that involve prolonged sitting, such as dentistry, may place women at a higher risk for hip pain than other professions.  Prolonged sitting may lead to adaptive muscle shortening causing tightness in the hip and low back muscles, affecting flexibility and joint mobility.  In a seated profession, it is a good idea to move the hip regularly out of a flexed position. Women should intermittently stand for exams, extractions, injections and impression making as well as perform specific hip stretches, especially hip flexor and rotator stretches, on a regular basis, to avoid hip dysfunction caused by prolonged sitting.  Functional strengthening of the gluteus medius is also important for women in seated occupations, exercises incorporating a unilateral stance will target this muscle. 

Posturedontics, LLC 

was developed by a dental ergonomic consultant/physical therapist and clinical dentist to provide dental professionals with quality, research-based ergonomic education, products and resources. We value your input and ideas for future newsletters.

 

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