Evaluation of prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in general dentists in Ilam city in 2020

Due to their occupational characteristics, dentists are at a higher risk of musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the distribution and intensity of musculoskeletal pain in different parts of the body among general dentists in Ilam city in 2020. The present study was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The Nordic questionnaire was used. Dentists, who met the criteria for entering the study, were evaluated. These criteria include the following: having at least 2 years of work experience in the profession of general dentistry and not having a specialized degree in dentistry. Demographic information were also collected through a self-report questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18. The subjects included 33 men and 20 women with a mean age of 29-36 years and a mean work experience of 2-10 years. They were active for 7.84 hours a day with 10.47 visits and a BMI of 23.13. The results of Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) score evaluation showed that 43.4% of participants were in the high risk range and change in the near future, 30.2% in the medium risk range and need to change, 17% of dentists in the very high risk range and the level of corrective measures need to change quickly, 3.8% were in the low risk range and the likelihood of needing change. Also, the highest frequency of pain in the last 12 months was related to the neck area with 52.8%. The results of the study showed that the prevalence and level of risk of musculoskeletal disorders in dentists is at a high level. In order to reduce the incidence of disorders, it seems necessary to take corrective measures as soon as possible.