height of a dentist

[vaio]

does being tall (6 feet+) and doing dentistry make one more susceptible to back/neck problems after a while? I'm a D1 and started doing operative in lab this semester. I seem to be having pain in my neck and back after spending hours in the lab. Do loupes help? Or not really that much? Any recommendations?

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[fightingspirit]

does being tall (6 feet+) and doing dentistry make one more susceptible to back/neck problems after a while? I'm a D1 and started doing operative in lab this semester. I seem to be having pain in my neck and back after spending hours in the lab. Do loupes help? Or not really that much? Any recommendations?

i am a short guy and i have back and neck problems. in my class, we have a few boys who are above 6 feet and one of them is having serious ergonomic troubles. so regardless of height, one may have problems. the point is that at dental school, the labs are usually not ergonomically oriented. it's kinda one size fits all and some of the revolving chairs dont work and their height adjustment fixture might be broken. loopes help a bit. not much. once you graduate and get to choose your own chair ,it will be better. get your loopes, elevate both the chair and the mounted typodont. talk to your operative technique class conductor about ergonomic suggestions.

 

[mayoree]

My D1 class seems to have a lot of really tall guys (6'3'' and taller) and I haven't really heard any of them complain about back and neck pain. Before getting to our simulation labs we were taught ergonomics and these are duly enforced to make sure that we're okay. We know how to raise and lower chairs and patients to make US comfortable (we do this everyday, the patient's only there for a couple of hours). Loupes do help, but let your experiences in clinic be your guide. Good luck.

 

[Hemogoblin]

I'm 6'5" myself and my back would get sore after a half day or so. But, having tried loupes the last few days, they REALLY save your back. So much so, in fact, that I felt great while using them, and no pains at all. I don't think Dentistry in general is any worse for you if you're tall. I think it's just one of those things where the world isn't really built around really tall or short people so the extreme's suffer regardless, whether you're a Dentist or not.

I would definitely recommend loupes. Being in the sim clinic in one thing, and being in the patient clinic is another. At least it is at our school. Our sim clinic sucks and the tables aren't adjustable. Only the chairs are and at their lowest, my back would still hurt. But with loupes, it really is night and day. In fact, I have to now raise the chair which helps a lot. Get them You'll be happy you did.

Cheers

 

[abdullah]

hey guys ...my names abdullah and im in my first year in my dntal school..i just wanted to know .."how can i get rid of blood phobia"..i seem to loose my conciousness...please help.thankx

 

[Fuji]

hey guys ...my names abdullah and im in my first year in my dntal school..i just wanted to know .."how can i get rid of blood phobia"..i seem to loose my conciousness...please help.thankx

Ask a farmer if you can help slaughter his animals.

 

[eleminopee]

Ask a farmer if you can help slaughter his animals.

worked great for me

 

[muz]

one of my classmates is seven foot something...he seems to be doin just fine...considering he's probably one of the fastest in pre-clinc work

 

[dheav005]

excellent hijack of a thread abdullah. if you are squeamish, you may be in the wrong field.

back and neck problems this early in your dental career has to be (barring previous issues) indicative of poor posture and lack of experience. use your loupes, review your ergonomics powerpoints. seriously, make sure you are using your body correctly before the bad habits become ingrained. i have classmates that work at a level that could be considered assault outside the dental office. most patients are already nervous about dental care, dont give them a reason to refuse treatment by being in more of their personal space than necessary.

 

[DrJeff]

I'm 6'3" and between d-school and private practice I've been working on teeth now for 13 years with no back/neck problems. Just learn, and constantly remind yourself about proper posture, and remember to use the chair to move the patient to accomodate you, not you accomodating the patient and you'll be all set.