The Prevalence of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Dental Professional in National Dental Hospital, Colombo and Institute of Oral Health, Maharagama

Abstract

It is considered that work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) are one of the major occupational health hazards that dental professionals have unveiled. Although dentistry is a high-risk profession for the development of WMSD, studies conducted in Sri Lanka were few and far between. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of WMSD among the dental professionals in the Colombo district. A selfadministered questionnaire was used to collect the demographic data, work-profile, and associated factors. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was used to collect the prevalence of WMSD, which was administered to the dental professionals at National Dental Hospital, Colombo, and the Institute of Oral Health, Maharagama. The study included questionnaires collected from those who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data was analysed using SPSS version 21. The study shows a mean height, weight, and age of 5.01 ± 0.33 feet, 59.36 ± 10.15 kg, and 38.28 ± 9.18 years, respectively. The total working hours per week were 45.68 ± 12.73 hours and the average time spent per patient was 18.62 ± 8.99 minutes. 81.3% of the participants reported pain and discomfort in at least one part of their body. The major affected part was the neck, followed by the lower back and shoulders. WMSD was more prevalent among female dentists. According to the findings, there is a high prevalence of WMSD among the dental professionals in National Dental Hospital, Colombo and Institute of Oral Health, Maharagama, and factors such as gender, kind of dentistry, lack of regular exercise, and lack of use of magnification aids can influence the prevalence of WMSD.