Abstract:

Objective: The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among dentists is high and adversely affects the quality of life. In this study, we aimed to evaluate musculoskeletal complaints, working postures, and the risk of MSDs among dentistry students across different departments. Methods: 180 dentistry students were divided into six groups according to their departments. For evaluation of the musculoskeletal complaints, we used the standardized Nordic musculoskeletal disorders questionnaire. The working postures and the potentiality of MSDs were evaluated using the ‘Rapid Upper Limb Assessment’ (RULA). Results: We found that 92.8% of the students had musculoskeletal pain during the last 12 months, and the highest prevalence of symptoms was reported for the neck (68.3%) and the upper back (62.2%). The mean RULA score of the students was 5.02 ± 1.31, indicating a high risk of MSDs. The highest RULA mean score was in the pedodontics group. Conclusion: Our study found a high prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints and high RULA scores among all the dentistry students. Therefore, ergonomic solutions should be developed to regulate their working postures according to the relevant department to prevent future disorders and if necessary, students should encourage to seek professional medical help.

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