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
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
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.
Over ten years ago, I met two patients who forever changed the way I viewed my role as a practicing dental hygienist. I greeted the first, a 34 year-old male patient, and escorted him to my operatory. He looked different from most patients, as he wore a medical mask covering his mouth. Surprisingly, I noticed he could not speak, communicating only by using a dry eraser board. On his board, he wrote that he only had six months to live and wanted a tooth pulled so he could be out of pain. As he removed the medical mask from his face, I saw a large tumor that displaced several teeth on the inside of his mouth. The tumor was very disfiguring, and he was clearly in pain. I knew I was staring at oral cancer in the face. Ultimately, the dentist came in and the patient received palliative care that day. But, I never saw him again.
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...
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.
It’s been a long time since the last narrative and a lot has changed. The internship with the dental hygienist failed miserably. After three sessions, my mentor just stopped communicating and cut all ties with me. I attempted to email her multiple times but I remained unheard. So, I had to find a way to troubleshoot and look for another mentor and place to intern at.
A few weaknesses of ErgoClean stem from it being a new startup company. As a startup, there is less experience within the organization than exists within the more established companies in the dental industry, primarily in the designing and production of the working end of the scaling instruments produced by ErgoClean. Challenges here are to produce an ergonomic handle for the scaling instruments that do not compromise the working end’s durability, strength, and ability to stay sharp. Additionally, as a new company, taking market share away from the competition whose customers have brand loyalty may be a difficult task. Many of the competitors also offer a full line of products, such as instrument cleaning materials, making them a “one stop shop”.
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...
Numerous studies have reported that hand hygiene reduces health care associated infection rates. Compliance to proper hand hygiene guidelines continues to be low among health care workers. To improve hand hygiene performance and have continued compliance over time, the need to find out what the barriers are need to be sought out. These may include poor access to hand hygiene information, skin irritation, forgetfulness, time constraints, a perception that hand hygiene interferes with worker-patient relationships, lack of knowledge of hand hygiene guidelines, and poor habits learned early in life (KuKanich, Kaur, Freeman, & Powell, 2013, p.
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
o Please describe a time when you performed a thorough head, neck and oral exam and the findings had a significant impact on how you proceeded with the dental hygiene process of care. Annette was performing her usual head, neck, and oral exam on a patient and found an enlarged thyroid. She recommended to the patient that she go see her primary care physician to get a better diagnosis. The patient went to her primary care physician and was told there was probably nothing. Later, the patient returned to the dental office and saw Annette and told her what the physician said.
Infection control is a central concept to every practice of health care providers. Its main objective is to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases from both patients and health personnel (Martin et al., 2010). In dental clinic, infection control is a continuous concern for its professionals. They have to contact patients routinely and be exposed to their blood, saliva, dental plaque and pus that may contain infectious pathogens. It is important for the dental professionals to treat these fluids as if they are infectious and special precautions must be taken to handle them. In this essay, I will highlight the scope of infection control practices in dental clinics and the ways through which infectious microorganisms are transmitted in the dental clinic. Also, I will talk about some infection control guidelines implemented in dental clinics and how they meet the needs of the patients. Finally, from a personal perspective, I will mention some factors that affect the implantation of infection control guidelines and procedures.
Dental Hygienist: Have you been flossing? If not, the Dental Hygienist will know. A Dental Hygienist examines and makes sure that you have been flossing, brushing, and much more on your teeth. You really should make sure that you schedule cleanings every couple months or so. Your teeth are a big part of your health, and if you don’t take care of them, you will eventually end up with fake teeth, or the proper name would be Dentures.
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.
In addition, healthcare workers’ handwashing technique differs from the one you use at home. It is “important that all surfaces of the hands are cleaned thoroughly to dislodge and wash away pathogens” (Burton & Ludwig, 2015, pg. 261). The spread of pathogens in a healthcare setting happens with high likelihood. Therefore, it is imperative to wash one’s hands in the following situations. First, upon entering the patient’s room, secondly, anytime your hands are visibly dirty, third, between caring for two patients in the same room, forth, immediately after removing your gloves, and finally after touching body fluids, secretions, excretions, or contaminated