Effect of Tool Design on Hand Pain in Dental Practitioners

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Shoulder Pain

In brief

Dentists and dental hygienists experience elevated rates of musculoskeletal disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis, primarily due to the high pinch force required for dental scaling. There is evidence that a lighter and larger diameter tool can significantly reduce the pinch force. This randomized controlled study will determine if dentists or dental hygienists who use such a tool report less hand and arm pain compared to those who continue to use the conventional tool design.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT01332760

Run by

University of California, San Francisco

People needed

110

Starts

2009-04-01

Expected to finish

2011-03-01

Last updated by the study team

2012-02-22

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 65. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• dentists and dental hygienists from the San Francisco Bay Area
• dental practitioners who perform more than 10 hours of dental hygiene work per week
• dental practitioners who have been performing dental hygiene work for more than 1 year

You may not qualify if…

• not currently under a physician's care for treatment of an upper extremity disorder

Where it is running

• UCSF Ergonomics Program — Richmond, California, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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