Effect of loupe and microscope on dentists’ neck and shoulder muscle workload during crown preparation

Soohyun Hong, Jinyoung Park, Mi Jeong Jeon, Su Jung Shin, Jung Hyun Park, Jeong Won Park

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Although there is consensus among dentists that visual aids not only improve vision but also help improve posture, evidence is scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of visual aids (loupe and microscope) on the muscle workload of dentists during crown preparation on dentiform first molars in each quadrant of a phantom head, considering dentists’ muscles, patients’ tooth positions and surfaces. Six right-handed dentists from a single tertiary hospital participated. Surface electromyography device recorded the muscle workload of the bilateral upper trapezius, sternocleidomastoid, cervical erector spinae, and anterior deltoid during crown preparation. The results showed significantly lower workload in all examined muscles when using a microscope compared to the naked eye (p < 0.05), whereas the loupe showed reduced workload in some specific muscles. The muscle with the highest workload for all visual aids was the cervical erector spinae, followed by the upper trapezius. When analyzed by tooth surface, while the loupe did not significantly reduce overall workload compared to the naked eye for each surface, the microscope significantly reduced workload for most surfaces (p < 0.05). Therefore, during crown preparation, the workload of the studied muscles can successfully be reduced with the use of a loupe or microscope.

Original languageEnglish
Article number17489
JournalScientific reports
Volume14
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024 Dec

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General

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