Evaluation of Occupational and Non-Occupational Risk Factors Associated With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Dentists Publisher Pubmed



Maghsoudipour M^{1, 2} ; Hosseini F¹ ; Coh P³ ; Garib S⁴
Source: Work Published:2021

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. © 2021-IOS Press. All rights reserved.