The study included 338 dental assistants and hygienists with a mean age of 35.8 years (range from 20 to 60 years) were evaluated. However, the results of this second part are the subject of another paper. The second aim was an analysis of physical exercises and ergonomics at work, and how they influence cervical spine function. All participants were informed about the aim of the study, which is to say the analysis of health problems related to cervical spine among dental assistants. Written informed consent was obtained from the participants before their participation. The purpose of the examination was the assessment of cervical spine function and comparison to the group of people without symptoms, whose work does not require extensive cervical spine use. The conference attendees comprised a uniform professional group of dental assistants and hygienists. All participants of the study were assessed once. Participants that were assessed during the conference in 2018 were not included the following year. The participants were recruited from the nationwide Asysdent conferences held in 2018 (1090 participants) and 2019 (1040 participants) and the patients of the Osteopathy Centre in Lodz, Poland. This study was conducted in the period from April 2018 to January 2020. The aim of the study was to evaluate the mobility of the cervical spine, pain and function according to NDI score among dental assistants and hygienists, for comparison with the control group. Our hypothesis was that the group of dental professionals under investigation would have poorer cervical spine function (including more pain and limited range of motion) than the control group. Knowledge of WMSD is crucial to the implementation of education in ergonomics among dental professionals, which may be achieved by teaching biomechanics, posturology, integrative functional therapies and by promoting the holistic health of dental operators. conclude that WMSD in this professional group ranges between 64% and 93% with the most prevalent regions for pain being the back and neck. the most affected body areas are the neck (59.9%) and lumbar region (52.1%), followed by the shoulders (43.3%), dorsal spine (37.7%) and wrists (30.6%). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) among dental professionals have been well documented. When performed in an appropriate manner, these activities can improve the degree of comfort associated with the work, changing it, as described by Ćwirzeń et al., into a more static-dynamic form. In some situations, the assistant is required to perform dynamic movements, such as setting the lighting or preparing other specialized instruments needed at a given moment these may be placed in cabinets located in the treatment room or sometimes in another room. The professional activities of an assistant entail a very wide range of energy expenditure, with the level depending on the type of contraction in the working muscles, i.e., isometric and isotonic contractions it is also related to the nature of the job related to repetitive movements. This approach is contrary to the modern ergonomic principles of dynamic work. Older guidelines for dental assistants, such as those described by Jańczuk, “forced” the assistant to work passively in a static position: all activities were performed from a sitting position, without any possibility of moving around. It is the duty of the dental assistant to reduce the distractions experienced by them, thus significantly easing their daily burden. With the rise in the demand for professionally qualified dental care workers, the labor market has seen a rapid growth in interest in dental assistant or hygienist as career options.
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