Ergonomics is an important foundation

Having been a dental hygienist for 16 years, I've come to realize that working on your posture and seating position is crucial for performing this job well.

Unfortunately, it's an overlooked topic in our profession; many colleagues might have had one morning lesson on ergonomics during their education, and that was it. 

I also believe that the theory from that time (for me, 20 years ago) is quite outdated.

However, from what I hear around me, many of my colleagues always have complaints; a little pain in the neck, back, or wrist is not uncommon at all. We no longer bat an eye and often seek solutions from a physical therapist or masseur.

Actually, I rarely hear my fellow dental hygienists or dentists talk about working with ergonomic aids. 

Nobody checks their work chair, asking if it's suitable for their body and posture. Instead, they often work on an old, worn-out stool that has been there since the practice opened. Or they don't consider how they are actually sitting during treatment, or if their work chair is at the correct height relative to the patient.

But there is so much more in the field of ergonomic adjustments.

A change was needed!

After an accident 8 months ago, where I broke my shinbone, fibula, and knee, I had to undergo significant rehabilitation to return to work. Even though I am currently only working half-days, my body is already so overburdened that I no longer wanted to deal with the aches and pains of my daily work.

So, a literal change was needed. 

I started looking into loupe glasses after years of contemplating whether to purchase them.

I often visited stands at the Dental Expo to explore loupe glasses. I was already convinced about the extra light during treatment. What a relief that was! But what always held me back was the weight of the loupe glasses. 

During the day, I don't wear glasses; I only did so during patient treatments. I didn't need a strong prescription, just a slight adjustment for astigmatism.

I mainly used regular glasses as protection against dirt like blood splatters and saliva.

Still, I noticed that I always wanted to take off my glasses quickly after the treatment was finished. Another reason to doubt loupe glasses. 

Because am I really the type of person who likes to wear something on their face?!

But then I discovered Admetec's loupe glasses, known for their light weight and especially their ergonomic loupe glasses.

With ergonomic loupe glasses, it is no longer necessary to look down and bend forward to see something properly. 

Ergo-loupe glasses allow you to look forward in a neutral, upright posture while having a perfect view into the mouth.

They come in various magnifications, something for everyone. There is a suitable magnification for every specialist.

My own ergonomic loupe glasses

Martin, the owner of Admetec in the Netherlands, recommended an ergo-loupe with 3.0 magnification and LED lighting, with a working distance range of 35-75 centimeters.

I honestly admit that it didn't immediately feel like an old slipper! While practicing on a phantom with the demo models, I sometimes saw a vague spot or shadow. 

But Martin assured me that when the ergonomic glasses were fully adjusted to my eyes, it would be totally different, and that was true!

During the measurement, which by the way is super fast and can even be done in the practice during a break, for example, he measures all facial dimensions using an app. 

This is different for everyone, so loupe glasses are truly a personalized product.

My experience with the Admetec ergo 3.0

Now I've been working with the loupe glasses for a while and I really can't do without them anymore.

Martin said that your brain needs to get used to it at first, and that you should gradually increase the time you wear and take off the glasses in the beginning.

I stubbornly put on the glasses and haven't taken them off during my workdays. 

After a few small adjustments, they sat comfortably on my nose, and the strap allows you to secure them so you never feel like they're slipping off. 

The first few days, I noticed that I still occasionally looked under the loupe because that's what I was used to. Even then, you see it very well because you have that extra lighting. 

Now I am so used to these glasses that I look directly through the loupes, and my brain no longer needs to adjust.

I enjoy my work more thanks to the ergonomic glasses! And I'm also very glad I didn't choose regular loupe glasses but ergonomic ones.

Some colleagues advised against it, saying they'd heard ergonomic loupes weren't suitable for dental hygienists because we move more during treatment than, for example, a dentist.

I absolutely cannot understand or refute this, because I find that I have much more peace during treatment. Previously, I did many areas in the mouth by feel because you couldn't see them with the eye. You work with a mirror, but still, you don't really see many parts well, regardless of whether you sit in the correct position next to the patient.

What I hear from my patients

My patients all find it interesting and ask why I'm wearing these glasses now.

When I explained that I saw everything much better and magnified, I noticed that patients also appreciated this. After all, you deliver better quality than before.

Patients have also told me that they feel the work is carried out in even greater detail. You see calculus so sharply in the mouth that you can remove it very precisely with your instruments. One patient even said it felt much less painful as a result. And other patients noticed that I sit much more upright during the treatment.

Ergonomic chair

In the practices where I work, I've been sitting on the same chair for years. Some are so old that you can feel the padding has disappeared. 

I don't know why, but somehow nobody pays attention to this anymore.

Martin told me during the fitting that it's also important to tilt your pelvis properly, but this wasn't even possible on my old work stool. The width is so wide that it's simply not suitable for my build.

He suggested I try the Score Medical with lumbar support. What a relief that was. 

I always sat on saddle stools without back support, but I quickly noticed that the lumbar support really makes a difference.

Combination of ergonomic loupe glasses and the right work stool

Never in all these 16 years have I been so consciously engaged with my ergonomics. 

The glasses give you a signal during work: if your posture is incorrect, you see less sharply. I know that a slight lean backward gives me the desired view, and then I automatically sit in the correct posture. 

The chair provides me with the right back support all day long and allows me to tilt my pelvis properly, preventing me from slouching like a sack of potatoes. 

I used to do this regularly, especially when I got tired during the day.

Address it before it's too late!

If you, as a practitioner, accept neck and back pain and think it's part of your job, then consider whether you can't change something about it.

Get advice from an ergonomist or start by purchasing ergonomic aids.

They are available! 

For more information:

Admetec