Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Additive Effects Of Cell Phone Use And Dental Hygiene Practice On Finger Muscle Strength: A Pilot Study, Jessica R. Suedbeck, Cortney N. Armitano-Lago, Emily A. Ludwig

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine strength of muscles involved with instrumentation (scaling) by dental hygienists and the additive effects of cellular (mobile) phone usage, as indicated by measurements of muscular force generation.

Methods: A convenience sample of licensed dental hygienists currently in clinical practice (n=16) and an equal number of individuals not currently using devices/tools repetitively for work (n=16), agreed to participate in this pilot study. All participants completed a modified cell phone usage questionnaire to determine their use pattern and frequency. Upon completion of the questionnaire, participants' force production in six muscle groups was measured …

Comparison Of Corded And Cordless Handpieces On Forearm Muscle Activity, Procedure Time And Ease Of Use During Simulated Tooth Polishing, Gayle Mccombs, Daniel M. Russell

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: Dental professionals suffer from a high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). Dental hygienists in particular have a high prevalence of pain in the forearms and hands. The objective of this study was to compare 1 cordless handpiece to 2 corded handpieces during simulated tooth polishing in terms of the muscle loads (recorded as electromyography (EMG) activity), duration of polishing procedure, and dental hygienist opinion about ease of use. Methods: EMG was used to quantify muscle electrical activity of 4 forearm muscles during simulated dental polishing with 2 corded handpieces (HP-A and HP-B) and 1 cordless handpiece (HP-C). A …