Affiliations: [a]
Department of Ergonomics, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| [b]
Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| [c]
Medical School, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| [d]
School of Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Maryam Maghsoudipour, MD, Sleep Research Laboratory, University of California, San Diego, 9452 Medical Center Drive La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. E-mail: maryammaghsoudi@yahoo.com.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Musculoskeletal disorders are very prevalent among dentists. Of these disorders, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is notable. OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the occupational and non-occupational risk factors and CTS among dentists. METHODS:It is a cross-sectional study. We evaluated 106 dentists from dental schools in Tehran. We collected data by a general questionnaire, a hand diagram, and physical examination. A nerve conduction velocity (NCV) test was used to confirm the diagnosis of CTS. The analysis was performed using an independent T-test and logistic regressions on SPSS software. RESULTS:The prevalence of CTS among dentists was 17.9%. Significant risk factors of CTS included: vibration exposure greater than two hours per day (OR: 2.5), a wrist diameter ratio of greater than 0.7 (OR: 10.14), and female sex (OR: 13.38). CONCLUSIONS:Exposure to the hand-arm vibration should be considered as an occupational risk factor for CTS in dentists. Female dentists should take more preventive measures.
