Ergonomic Practices for Dental Hygienists
Chastaine Daniels
Southeastern Technical College
Dental hygiene is amongst many professions that come with an increased risk of injury. In fact, evidence suggests that the incidence of dental professionals acquiring musculoskeletal disorders is reaching 96%. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), these complications are a result of “repetitive motion or awkward posture for more than 2 hours at a time, unassisted frequent manual handling (eg, scaling an area using the same strokes), and unassisted forced manual handling (eg, heavy calculus removal using hand-activated instruments)”. These complications not only affect the quality of life for the
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A stool with positive ergonomic characteristics should support “thighs, arms, legs, and back, as well as proper posture, circulation, and respiration” . The stool should also be equipped with at least five free-rolling casters and be supportive of posture during various movements made by the hygienist. If the stool that is provided to a hygienist by their employer does not have these qualities, the hygienist could consider purchasing their own stool. It is also recommended that hygienists rotate between different stools throughout the day to avoid maintaining the same posture during an entire work shift …show more content…
Large, bulky instruments can cause musculoskeletal disorders in the hands and wrists. Instruments usually come in various handle sizes and diameters so hygienists should choose an instrument that is most comfortable and ergonomically sound to fit their hands. Power instruments should be lightweight and cordless to minimize hand movements and tension to the wrist and arm . Magnification devices are yet another important product for dental hygienists to consider. “Magnification in dental hygiene practice can improve quality of assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and clinician posture”. The most preferred form of magnification by dental hygienists is magnification loubes. Magnification loubes magnify the oral cavity and in turn, prevents the hygienist from having to distort their body in order to see into a patient’s mouth. Loubes should be lightweight, comfortable, and properly adjusted to prevent musculoskeletal disorders . Gloves worn during treatment can also cause musculoskeletal disorders if they do not fit properly. Gloves that are too loose could cause the hygienist to lose control of instruments. Gloves that fit too tightly could cut of the hygienist’s blood circulation and cause pain in the muscles. Textured gloves are recommended for use because they increase grip strength of
Ongoing research linking oral health and general health will continue to spur the demand for preventative dental services, which dental hygienists often provide. New and increasingly accurate technologies to help diagnose oral health problems are also expected to increase demand. Example: new tests use saliva samples that a hygienist takes to spot early signs of oral cancer. As their practices expand, dentists will hire more hygienists to perform routine dental care, allowing the dentist to see more patients
Most patients that come into the dentist are coming for a reoccurring problem. Each time they leave there not aware of what is causing them to have the same issues. A part of the dental hygienists job is to catch what is being done wrong and to fix it with the treatment plan. The treatment plan is set up for you to follow so that you don’t continue to do the same things and risk your health. It helps keep the patient on a routine and educate them on the importance of oral health. The treatment plan is based on a series of questions to make it a specific treatment plan custom to the patient’s needs.
Dental hygienists have the responsibility to provide patients with a treatment plan centered on scientific based research. However, hygienists need to assess the credibility of the results found on scientific research reports, reviews, and the information about products and treatment modalities. Although, evidence-based practice is essential in the dental hygiene field, this is not an easy task because it requires the use of multiple studies, and the knowledge to assess their quality. In order to assess the quality of a study, a dental hygienist most understand the parts of the study, the methodology used to gather and analyze the information, and the ethics involved while conducting the study. By doing this, hygienists are able to identify
Hygienist are the dentists who educate their patients on the importance of oral health care. Hygienist examine any chipped tooth,damage filling,discolored or swollen gums, and also take x-rays, and help prevent tooth decay. Today, dental care focuses on prevention. Preventing tooth decay and related problems is the main job of a dental hygienist. As generations pass, not many people are fully aware of the downside of not properly taking care of their pearly whites. This topic was brought to my attention by noticing the lack of dental hygiene among my peers. This doesn’t necessarily just mean having only cavities, sore gums, but also bad breath.
A dental hygienist is a very important role in any dental office. As stated by a dental assistant, “Dental hygienists work closely with the dentist as well as hands on with the patients. They assist dentists with operative procedures such as fillings and extractions, and making molds of patients teeth” (Wilson, Jennifer). A large part of their job is teaching patients proper dental care to ensure a lifetime of healthy teeth. This includes proper brushing and flossing techniques. According to the job out look, a day as a dental hygienist can include taking x-rays, cleaning and scaling teeth, charting treatment plans, putting sealants on teeth, taking impressions of teeth and completing information about the patient’s oral and medical history (Summary). In some states dental hygienist are allowed to give local anesthetic and place and remove sutures (Delivering Local Anesthetic). According to advantages of becoming a dental hygienist, hygienists spend more hands on time with the patients than the dentist does. These are some of the instruments that dental hygienists use on a daily basis: toothbrush, scaler, mirror, ultrasonic scaler, explorer, suction, computer, salvia ejector, rubber cap polisher, dental models, x-ray machine and probe. The dental hygienist uses a toothbrush to remove soft plaque from the teeth. Plaque is a soft coating on the teeth that contain bacteria. The bacteria can cause tooth decay and gum disease. The amount of plaque on the teeth gives the hygienist an idea of how well the daily brushing and flossing of the patient’s teeth are completed on a regular basis. The scaler is used to remove hardened plaque or calculus from the teeth. The mirror is used to look closely at the surfaces of the teeth a...
This practice led to dental professionals having an extremely high exposure to chemicals, including mercury. Prior to the late 1980’s, practicing dentistry without personal protective equipment (PPE) for example: masks, gloves, and eye protection, was considered clinically acceptable. In the late 1980’s with the epidemic of HIV/AIDS, dental professionals began using PPE, specifically gloves. The exposure to amalgam decreased, but is still prevalent in dentistry
As I started my new journey of becoming a dental hygienist, I came into the program with no background of dental. I came into this program with an open mind and willing to embrace new concepts as well as develop new skills. During my time at the Canadian Academy of Dental Hygiene (CADH), I learned that as a dental hygienist that I am committed to promoting and helping each individual achieve their optimal oral health goals. In support of my client’s goals, I may assume any or all of the roles included in the dental hygiene scope of practice. My goal throughout this program was to help my clients achieve their optimal oral health goals through education, health promotion and providing preventive and clinical therapy.
The best description of a dental hygienist is a professional whose main job is to teach their patients necessary oral hygiene skills and provide great dental care. They perform various tasks around a dentist’s office such as applying fluoride treatments, removing plaque and stains, taking x-rays, removing sutures, placing temporary fillings, and evaluating the patient’s overall health (“Dental Hygienist” Coin Career). Dental hygienists do not just work in a dental office, but they also can work at schools, nursing homes, health clinics, and many other dental settings. Close contact is necessary when doing this job. Working with people is an everyday thing in this profession, so one must be able to communicate and get along with their clients very well. Having certain traits such as excellent hand-eye coordination and great motor skills are very important to posses since dental hygienists work on their patients mouths (Porterfield 4). Communication is vital since dental hygienists are constantly teaching patients how to hav...
A hygienist then asks what polisher flavor the patient would like. What the polisher does is remove any fragments of plaque remaining and surface stains on the teeth. A hygienist will then go over how to properly floss teeth for future references. Flossing is the only way to remove plaque in between the teeth. The hand scalers and polishing can only do so much. Most patients believe that flossing isn’t a big deal and make excuses such as “I forget to do it” or “I don’t know how.” This is what a hygienist is for; to properly educate the patient how to take care of the mouth by teaching them how to floss if necessary and prevent serious
Due to their direct contact with patients, personnel of health care teams are exposed to a higher risk of contracting diseases. Specifically, this risk becomes more potential for dental professional teams if we know that most of the human microbial pathogens are isolated from oral secretions. They can cause serious diseases that might transmit from patients to the personnel, and vice versa (Bednarsh & Molinri, 2010). In 1970 and the early 1980s, result showed the tendency among dental professionals to have more certain infectious diseases than the general public due to their exposure to blood and saliva of their patients (Bednarsh & Molinri, 2010). Disease, such as hepatiti...
Whitby, M., Pessoa-Silva, C., Mclaws, M., Allegranzi, B., Sax, H., Larson, E., Seto, W., Donaldson, L. & Pittet, D. (2007). Behavioural considerations for hand hygiene practices: the basic building blocks. Journal Of Hospital Infection, 65 (1), pp. 1--8.
(2014) shed light on two key components for infection control, which includes protecting patients from acquiring infections and protecting health care workers from becoming infected (Curchoe et al., 2014). The techniques that are used to protect patients also provide protection for nurses and other health care workers alike. In order to prevent the spread of infections, it is important for health care workers to be meticulous and attentive when providing care to already vulnerable patients (Curchoe et al., 2014). If a health care worker is aware they may contaminate the surroundings of a patient, they must properly clean, disinfect, and sterilize any contaminated objects in order to reduce or eliminate microorganisms (Curchoe et al., 2014). It is also ideal to change gloves after contact with contaminated secretions and before leaving a patient’s room (Curchoe, 2014). Research suggests that due to standard precaution, gloves must be worn as a single-use item for each invasive procedure, contact with sterile sites, and non-intact skin or mucous membranes (Curchoe et al., 2014). Hence, it is critical that health care workers change gloves during any activity that has been assessed as carrying a risk of exposure to body substances, secretions, excretions, and blood (Curchoe et al.,
The focus of health care is and has always been, practicing good hygiene, living a healthy lifestyle, and having a positive attitude reduces the chance of getting ill. Although there is not much prevention we can take for some of the diseases but we can certainly practice good hand hygiene to prevent infection and its ill effects. Research proves that hand washing is surely the most easy and effective way to prevent infection in health care. The question for this research: Is Hand washing an effective way to prevent infection in health care? It led to the conclusion that due to the high acuity, high patient: staff ratio, and lack of re evaluation certain units in the health care facilities cannot adhere to correct hand washing guidelines. Hand
Infection control in dentistry crucial for the well being of employees as well as the patients. Many precautions must be taken to avoid serious illness or injuries.There are many steps and guidelines to follow in infection prevention but as employees in the dental office we must take the time to ensure no harm is done to the clients or ourselves.
More than 375,000 nail technicians face possible health hazards everyday (“Health Hazards”). Today’s salons are investing in the latest products. Sanitation is the most important in any salon to prevent disease or injury to cosmetologists and for clients. The ingredients in these hair products are becoming stronger for some clients to handle. Cosmetologists need to understand how to keep ourselves and our clients safe. Tools, implements, and cleaning furniture is the most important. Customers are always going to be coming in and out of the salon. Cosmetologist will not always know who the person is in the salon. Wash and sanitize your hands before and after a client. Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) will also help prevent disease (Frangie). To prevent disease and bacteria, cosmetologists need to sanitize the tools and furniture before and after they give a service to a client.