Most of our parents have it, we hear about it at the doctor’s office; we might even have it and not acknowledge it. We might have the symptoms and signs and think it is something else, CTS or also known as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is very common in people now a days. According to Jennifer Wipperman and Loren Potter in The Journal of Family Practice states, 3% of American adults are generally overwrought by it(Wipperman & Potter, 2012). What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, what major signs and symptoms come behind it? What are my treatment options?
An interesting statistic in The Journal of Family Practice expresses Carpal Tunnel Syndrome “is approximately three times more common in women than in men”(Wipperman & Potter, 2012). CTS is work related. According to Modern Dental Assisting informs Carpal Tunnel refers to an area of the hand and wrist. It consists of eight carpal bones. The syndrome occurs with abnormal motions having exerted pressure on the median nerve, repeated and vigorous motion(Robinson & Bird, 2012). Jennifer Wipperman and Loren Potter affirm, using your mouse and keyboarding on a daily bases doesn’t necessarily mean you will suffer from CTS. They state, there may not even be a link between the two however, Carpal Tunnel is caused by a constant repetitive motion in our occupations. If our job consists of using hand-operated tools that require repeating movements with our hand or wrist it may be associated with this syndrome(Wipperman & Potter, 2012). Dental assistants are constantly in use of their hands. They pass dental instruments in a certain manor, grabbing the tool the doctor no longer needs with the pinky and giving the new instrument with a twist of the wrist. The constant use of their hands patient after pat...
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...s the most common one. The loss of grip is common as well. Dental assistants today are at risk of developing CTS because they are using their hands on a daily basis, after all their job is to be the doctor’s second pair of hands. Therefore, it is necessary we take the precautions needed to prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome because although there are many treatments there is no known cure.
Bibliography
Robinson, D. S., & Bird, D. L. (2012). Modern Dental Assisting (Vol. 10). St. Louis, Missouri: ElSevier Sanders. Retrieved January 2014
Viera, A. J. (2003, July 15). Management of Carpal Tunnel. American Family Physician, 68(2), 265-272. Retrieved January 20, 2014, from www.aafp.org/afp
Wipperman, J., & Potter, L. (2012, December). Carpal Tunnel Syndrome- Try these Diagnostic Maneuver. The Journal of Family Practice, 61(12), 726-731. Retrieved January 2014
Skjong, C. C., Meininger, A. K., & Ho, S. S. (2012). Tendinopathy treatment: Where is the Evidence? Clinics in Sports Medicine , 31 (2), 329-350.
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
As technology improves and time on the computer increases, symptoms for these diseases begin to appear more frequently. Sitting on the computer for hours on end makes you prone to developing a musculoskeletal disease since you are not being active or exercising your muscles. Ardahan and Simsek (2015) analyze the interaction and affect on excessive computer work and disease in the musculoskeleton. Their study includes 490 participants who work in a government office in Turkey, and observe how their bodies were reacting to their work environment, excluding workers who are already struggling with pain coming from a previous disease. Results were taken from the experiment by filling out questionnaires that attempted to document the level of discomfort that they experienced. More than 25% were discovered to not take a break during their session on the computer, but found that the average amount of time spent on the computer was 7 hours. The workers recorded musculoskeletal pain symptoms mainly in the neck area and back. Age was not a determinant factor when it came to being more prone to experiencing these symptoms. In some of the results, it was found that women are more likely to have pain in certain areas in comparison to men, and overall dealt with more pain. The data from the study proved that the more use you get on the computer, the more likely you are to develop symptoms of a disorder in your musculoskeletal system. To ensure that you don’t suffer through the pain, the results show that taking breaks from long computer usage is beneficial. It’s important to relax your muscles and keep them active instead of staring at a computer for more than 7 hours with no breaks in
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.
Dental assistant mostly experience right-sided neck and shoulder pain, also hand and finger pain that is worst in the first and second fingers. If it doesn’t get taken care of immediately, this pain could lead to muscle imbalances, ischemia, nerve compression, or disc degeneration. Structures in the musculoskeletal system can be affected by long-term wear and tear.
The Faculty of General Dental Practice is responsible for continued professional development of dental clinicians. It is committed to improving standards of patient care within dentistry by providing up to date publications and guidelines for clinicians. The standards and guidelines by the FGDP are evidence based and are recognised as authoritative statements of good practice within the profession (REF). The FGDP have produced standards and evidence-based guidelines detailing the Selection Criteria for Dental Radiography (REF).
A hypothesis that can be made from the patient’s report is that she is suffering from cervical radiculopathy, or a nerve root lesion. Symptoms that describe cervical radiculopathy include: arm pain in a dermatome distribution, pain increased by extension, rotation, and/or side flexion, possible relief of pain from arm positioned overhead, affected sensation, altered hand function, no spasticity, and no change to gait or bowel and bladder function (Magee, 2008, p. 142). These symptoms correlate to what the patient reported as a result of her injury. She stated that her pain is in the posterolateral upper and lower arm with aching and paresthesia in the thumb and index finger, which is in the dermatome pattern of cervical root 5 and 6 (C5, C6) (Magee, 2008, p. 25). She also reports lancinating pain with extension or rotation to the right of her head.
There is a very high prevalence of these disorders in both dental hygienists and dentists. It is not centered on dental hygienists alone. Some other musculoskeletal disorders experienced are tendonitis, neuropathy, and tension neck syndrome and trapezius myalgia. MSD pain and neuropathy in hygienists alone ranges from 60% to 96%. These disorders arise from certain issues in positioning as well as heavy workloads and exertion in awkward postures. The most affected muscle tends to be the Trapezius because that’s where most of the work load is centered when working on patients (Morse et al, 2007). When working on the maxillary arch, it is the most difficult to position one in a successful ergonomic position. It causes the hygienist to lean and stretch forward. One of the biggest causative factors for bad positioning involves the misuse of the operator chair. If the operator is sat too high it can cause falls, if it is too low it can cause slouching as well as knee or back pain. Another causative factor in these disorders is not having the patient work with the hygienist. The patient can also move their heads in any direction unless they have neck or shoulder issues or are impaired (Valachi, 2012). In the article, Local anesthetic Syringe Ergonomics and Student Preferences, the authors stated “It has been hypothesized that dentists and dental hygienists have heightened risks for wrist deviations
After the treatment and procedure is complete, patients leave with healthier, more beautiful teeth, giving them the confidence to ask someone out on a date or the confidence to smile on an important job interview. Dentistry is and has been for centuries, an important aspect of people’s ...
I decided to do my research report on dentistry because it is a perfect blend of science and art. It is a science in that you must fully comprehend on the different types of diagnostic and procedures you are doing. It is an art in that you are constantly working with your hands to create a beautiful smile. The impact you make on helping a person achieve an impeccable smile is not one to compare with materialistic things like money or cars. People often mistake dentist as only doing practices when in fact they could do more, like research. I was fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to interview Dr. Sarah Pham, DDS, a close family friend who practices dentistry in her own private office in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Pham was
Phinney, D. J., & Halstead, J. (2004). Instructor's Manual to Accompany Delmar's Dental Assisting: A Comprehensive Approach (2nd ed.). Forence, KY: Thomson/Delmar Learning.
Together it provides stability, protection, and shape to the body. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) cover a wide range of injuries or disorders that affect the human body’s movement or musculoskeletal system. “The most common musculoskeletal disorders include: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tendonitis, muscle and tendon strain, Tension Neck Syndrome, Rotator Cuff Tendonitis, and Radial Tunnel Syndrome, among many others.” (Middlesworth) These disorders can involve any form of damage to tendons, tendon sheaths, joints, muscles, blood vessels, and peripheral nerves. Symptoms of MSDs usually occur in the upper limbs and torso. Pain is the most common symptom it can occur either localized or general, usually in the neck, shoulders, and arms. Numbness usually occurs in the hands, wrists, and elbows. Weakness in the arms and swelling mostly in the wrist and hand are also symptoms. In severe cases, when the disorder becomes advanced loss of function can also occur. Most sonographers suffer a combination of symptoms and they are often related to high task repetition, forceful exertions, and repetitive and awkward positions that sonographers adopt during their
Nowadays the practice of dentistry is becoming more challenging and complex because of the information explosion regarding dental materials and equipment, increasing need for continuous professional development and an increasingly litigious society. Hence there has been a paradigm shift towards evidence-based healthcare .
Any pressure in this region will disrupt circulation into the hand and this will increase the risks of injury. Avoid Restricting Arm Movement - with a softly padded wrist rest, especially one that is rounded, or a soft chair arm rest the forearm becomes locked into position and this encourages people to make mouse movements by flicking the wrist, which also increases pressure. Choose a mouse design that fits your hand but is as flat as possible to reduce wrist extension. Don't use a curved mouse. Use a symmetrically shaped mouse. Consider a larger mouse, such as the Whale mouse, that encourage arm rather than wrist movements.
Growing up I heard many stories from my peers of their experiences at the dentist’s office. It is upsetting to say that most of my visits were vividly terrifying. As a child, the grinding, scratching, and high-pitched twangs of the instruments digging around in my mouth would leave my ears ringing and teeth vibrating every single time. The smell of fluoride and disinfectants permanently infected the air, sending chills through my body the minute I walked in. I quickly learned that latex posses an extremely unappetizing aftertaste. Needless to say, I was not always enthusiastic about going to the dentist’s office and getting braces did not make anything better for me.