Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders affecting general dental practitioners in nagpur and proposal of a new composite classification system

Background: Occupational hazards are common among dental professionals, and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are very common. Aim: The aim is to report the prevalence and distribution of MSD among dental professionals practicing in Nagpur, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted among 500 dental professionals from December 2016 to November 2017. The professionals were distributed in three groups (Group A, B, and C) based on the work experience in years. The questionnaire was designed to evaluate physical health related to MSD. Statistical analysis was performed by descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS 17.0 version (Chicago, USA) software and the data were presented in counts and percentages, with P ≤ 0.05 is considered as the level of statistical significance. Results: In Group A, 24% of participants suffered pain in lower back while 4% of participants suffered from pain in multiple regions. In Group B, 27% of participants suffered pain in lower back whereas 5% experienced pain in multiple regions. In Group C, 34% of participants suffered pain in lower back whereas 17% experienced pain in multiple regions. The most common specific disorder among dental professionals was tendonitis of the shoulder and repetitive strain injury. There was an increasing trend in the presence of neurological pain with increase in number of years in dental practice. Conclusions: The musculoskeletal region most frequently affected in all three groups was lower and upper back contributing about 40% regions affected. However, there was no pain recorded among 32% in dental professionals. Pain involving the body parts depends on the posture, time, and procedures. Dental professionals always need to maintain multiple postures for prolonged periods; therefore, dental procedures should be divided into multiple appointments to minimize the time-consuming procedures. A daily routine should be followed with exercise or yoga for strain-free muscular activities.