I have heard that dentists can suffer from a higher level of back and neck problems than the average population. Does being tall make this worse, i.e. having to bend over further to reach patients, or can most dental chairs be raised to more closely meet the dentist? Also, do larger hands make the procedural movements more difficult? I am about 6'5", and would assume that there are many dentists my height doing just fine in practice, however, I want to make sure that I am not setting myself up for spinal disaster in dentistry.
-
Hi Guest, applications open for the SDN Prehealth Scholarship!
$2500 to help prehealth students from under-resourced backgrounds - learn more and apply today! -
Scholarship Access: Becoming a Student Doctor course
Free access to comprehensive medical school prep. Eligible students include AAMC FAP recipients and HS graduates from underserved areas. Apply today.
Height and Dentistry
- Thread starter FMLizard
- Start date
DesiDentist
G. S. Khurana, DMD, MBA
Moderator Emeritus
Vendor
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
20+ Year Member
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2001
- Messages
- 1,573
- Reaction score
- 2
- Points
- 4,606
- Location
- Washington, DC
- Website
- www.facebook.com
- Dentist
Have you assited a dentist? If not, I would highly recommend doing it to get an idea. I've assisted and I'm 6' and after 5-6 hours I definately feel my back hurting and sore. However, if I take a break (lunch) and go back I can go another 5 hours straight.
Remember as a dentist you won't be just sitting there the entire time. YOu will spend 10-20 minutes on a patient, get up go to the next patient and 10-20 minutes on the next and that relieves some tension. And usually the first 5-10 minutes is really lax where one just talks to the patient and makes them comfortable. The back pain sucks when the patient is highly phobic and blood is spewing all over the place, then the pain starts from the forhead, goes down to the neck and the back. Man, that is the worst. patient screaming, you know you are behind 4 patients, blood pouring all over the place, patients cell phone rings and she has to get it during the procedure (or s/he has to go to the bathroom). Some patients can be a nightmare.
DesiDentist
Remember as a dentist you won't be just sitting there the entire time. YOu will spend 10-20 minutes on a patient, get up go to the next patient and 10-20 minutes on the next and that relieves some tension. And usually the first 5-10 minutes is really lax where one just talks to the patient and makes them comfortable. The back pain sucks when the patient is highly phobic and blood is spewing all over the place, then the pain starts from the forhead, goes down to the neck and the back. Man, that is the worst. patient screaming, you know you are behind 4 patients, blood pouring all over the place, patients cell phone rings and she has to get it during the procedure (or s/he has to go to the bathroom). Some patients can be a nightmare.
DesiDentist
Yikes Desi, did that really happen with one of the patients when you were assisting?
DesiDentist
G. S. Khurana, DMD, MBA
Moderator Emeritus
Vendor
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
20+ Year Member
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2001
- Messages
- 1,573
- Reaction score
- 2
- Points
- 4,606
- Location
- Washington, DC
- Website
- www.facebook.com
- Dentist
Yup:
It was one of the first perio surgeries I assited with. The doc was using this thing which would burn off some of the gingiva (kinda like a tattoo gun), and the patient could hear it, the gums were smoking like crazy and the smell was horrible. Then the patient started to smell some of her cooked gums and panic arose. But it was too late into the procedure to stop, blood was everywhere. She wouldn't keep still. Then her cell phone started to ring and she picked it up (yes, right in middle of the procedure). She was talking while I was cleaning the bloody water on her cheecks. Man, she was psycho.
That was the worst case I've assisted with. My back was so sore.
DesiDentist
It was one of the first perio surgeries I assited with. The doc was using this thing which would burn off some of the gingiva (kinda like a tattoo gun), and the patient could hear it, the gums were smoking like crazy and the smell was horrible. Then the patient started to smell some of her cooked gums and panic arose. But it was too late into the procedure to stop, blood was everywhere. She wouldn't keep still. Then her cell phone started to ring and she picked it up (yes, right in middle of the procedure). She was talking while I was cleaning the bloody water on her cheecks. Man, she was psycho.
That was the worst case I've assisted with. My back was so sore.
DesiDentist
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2002
- Messages
- 898
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 4,551
- Age
- 42
Most dentists have electric chairs that they can use to elevate or recline the patient etc. If you are taller you can position the patient higher probably.
DesiDentist
G. S. Khurana, DMD, MBA
Moderator Emeritus
Vendor
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
20+ Year Member
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2001
- Messages
- 1,573
- Reaction score
- 2
- Points
- 4,606
- Location
- Washington, DC
- Website
- www.facebook.com
- Dentist
That is true!!! However, when you are assisting that is a different story. The dentist was 5' 1" and she had the chair really low.
DesiDentist
I'm a 6'3" dentist that has been doing chairside work for the last 9 years with some degree of back pain, by no means everyday, and mainly low back(lower t-spine/upper c-spine). I've found that working with loupes does help me, because due to the focal length I'm forced to keep my head atleast 18" and often 24" from the patient which greatly helps with posture. I'm beginning to toy with the idea of getting a surgical microscope which should further help with posture. A good griend of mine who is an endodontist purchased a surgical microscope about a year ago, and prior to that he was experiencing some regular and significant low back pain. Since getting the microscope, he's found that his posture issues and hence low back pain have been ssentially eliminated.
Additionally, you can help prevent low back pain by #1 being VERY cogniscent of your posture while working (if you learn proper posture off the bat and practice it, you won't have to unlearn poor posture) #2 excercise your lower back and abdominal muscles, the stronger they are, the more comfortable you'll be (plus you'll look better at all those post graduation continuing education courses at tropical destinations😀
Additionally, you can help prevent low back pain by #1 being VERY cogniscent of your posture while working (if you learn proper posture off the bat and practice it, you won't have to unlearn poor posture) #2 excercise your lower back and abdominal muscles, the stronger they are, the more comfortable you'll be (plus you'll look better at all those post graduation continuing education courses at tropical destinations😀
