Affiliations: [a] University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Medicine, Serbia | [b] Dental Clinic of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia | [c] Special Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Novi Sad, Serbia | [d] Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Novi Pazar, Serbia
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: B. Radanović, Dinka Řimunović 185, Petrovaradin, Novi Sad, Serbia. Tel.: +381 6 4334 0107; E-mail:bozana.radanovic@gmail.com
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Musculoskeletal symptoms of the neck and shoulder
represent a condition whose basic characteristic is pain. These
conditions are very often present in dental health professionals.
The aim of the paper was to determine presence of discomforts in areas of
head, neck, shoulders, upper back and upper limbs at health professionals in
area of dentistry, as well as discomfort localisation and methods of
treatment. METHODS: The research included 45 health professionals (dentists,
dental assistants and dental technicians) employed at Dental Clinic
of Vojvodina. The information was collected via questionnaire for analysis
musculoskeletal disorders. RESULTS: Most of the dentists (75.9%) and the dental assistants
(90.9%) as well as nearly half of the dental technicians
(40%) experience discomforts in area of the neck, which are occasional,
present in all three working positions and this discomforts are a little
more frequent at women. The present musculoskeletal disorders are followed
by headache, whose presence is statistically more significant compared to
the other symptoms. The headache is usually located in the occipital part,
it occurs individually or joined with other symptoms. Due to said
discomforts the examinees in 59.4% of the cases don't contact the doctor.
Medical therapy prevails in opposition to physical therapy. CONCLUSION: The discomforts deriving from the cervical part of the
spine are present at great percentage of our examinees. Considering
the fact that the said discomforts affect performing both professional and
everyday activities, its prevention is necessary in order to avoid the
consequences they carry.
