Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current Issue
    • Archive
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Advertisements
    • Subscribing
  • About
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • JDH Reviewers
  • More
    • Alerts
    • Feedback

User menu

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Dental Hygiene
Visit the American Dental Hygienists' Association's main website
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
Journal of Dental Hygiene

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current Issue
    • Archive
  • Info for
    • Authors
    • Advertisements
    • Subscribing
  • About
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • JDH Reviewers
  • More
    • Alerts
    • Feedback
  • Visit jdenthyg on Facebook
  • Follow jdenthyg on Twitter
  • Follow jdenthyg on Instagram
  • Follow jdenthyg on Linkedin
  • RSS feeds
Research ArticleInnovations in Dental Hygiene Education

Evaluating the Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Neck Pain in Dental Hygiene Students

Justine E. Stambaugh, Christina Calleros, Patricia Siegel and Christine Nathe
American Dental Hygienists' Association April 2021, 95 (2) 58-62;
Justine E. Stambaugh
Assistant professor in the Division of Dental Hygiene;
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: Jstamb01@unm.edu
Christina Calleros
Adjunct faculty member in the Division of Dental Hygiene;
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Patricia Siegel
Assistant professor in the Occupational Therapy Program;
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Christine Nathe
Professor and the Director of the Division of Dental Hygiene and vice-chair of the Department of Dental Medicine; all at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

Purpose: Poor ergonomics is one of the leading factors in developing musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of forward neck flexion of dental hygiene students during manual scaling procedures while wearing magnification loupes and investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal neck pain.

Methods: convenience sample of second year dental hygiene students was recruited for this observational study (n=24). A goniometer application was used to measure levels of neck flexion, while wearing dental loupes, 30 minutes into a manual scaling procedure. Participants completed a McGill Pain Questionnaire with a body diagram and an additional survey at the end of the session. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

Results: All participants’ showed neck flexion exceeding 20° at the conclusion of a 30-minute manual scaling procedure. A majority (67%) were in a compromised range and 33% were in a harmful range. The top five pain descriptors identified in the pain questionnaire were aching, tiring-exhausted, throbbing, tender, and heavy. Pain was identified in the shoulder/trapezius (63%), cervical (50%), scapular (36%); and the participants’ reported pain ranging from 1 to 7.

Conclusion: Fifty percent of the participants experienced cervical neck pain when exceeding a forward neck flexion of more than 20° during a manual scaling procedure. The shoulder/trapezius and cervical regions were most frequently identified as the location of pain or problems. An early prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in was observed in this sample population of dental hygiene students.

  • dental hygiene students
  • musculoskeletal disorders
  • ergonomics
  • neck flexion
  • clinical education
  • magnification loupes
  • Received March 1, 2020.
  • Accepted September 11, 2020.
  • Copyright © 2021 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

American Dental Hygienists' Association: 95 (2)
American Dental Hygienists' Association
Vol. 95, Issue 2
April 2021
  • Table of Contents
  • Index by author
  • Complete Issue (PDF)
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on Journal of Dental Hygiene.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Evaluating the Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Neck Pain in Dental Hygiene Students
(Your Name) has sent you a message from Journal of Dental Hygiene
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the Journal of Dental Hygiene web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Citation Tools
Evaluating the Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Neck Pain in Dental Hygiene Students
Justine E. Stambaugh, Christina Calleros, Patricia Siegel, Christine Nathe
American Dental Hygienists' Association Apr 2021, 95 (2) 58-62;

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
Evaluating the Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Neck Pain in Dental Hygiene Students
Justine E. Stambaugh, Christina Calleros, Patricia Siegel, Christine Nathe
American Dental Hygienists' Association Apr 2021, 95 (2) 58-62;
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like

Jump to section

  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF

Similar Articles

More in this TOC Section

  • Legislative Advocacy: Undergraduate and Graduate Student Learning Outcomes
  • Human Papillomavirus Content Inclusion in Dental Hygiene Program Curricula in the United States
Show more Innovations in Dental Hygiene Education

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • PubMed
  • Google Scholar

Keywords

  • dental hygiene students
  • musculoskeletal disorders
  • ergonomics
  • neck flexion
  • clinical education
  • magnification loupes

About

  • About ADHA
  • About JDH
  • JDH Reviewers
  • Contact Us

Helpful Links

  • Submit a Paper
  • Author Guidelines
  • FAQs

More Information

  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Email Alerts
  • Help

ISSN #: 1553-0205

Copyright © 2022 American Dental Hygienists’ Association

Powered by HighWire