Dentaltown August 2017 - 86

You can choose to be a martyr,
or you can have a long, pain-free career.
The choice is ultimately yours.

Discover more
about hygiene
coding changes
in our next issue!
The September issue of
Dentaltown will feature a
CE course by hygiene educator
Patti DiGangi about how gaps
in the CDT code have led to
delays in therapeutic care
for early periodontal dental
disease, and how new codes
can help create change-
and profit opportunities.

86

AUGUST 2017 // dentaltown.com

It's obvious that magnification can
increase the acuity of the oral cavity and
enhance career longevity in dentistry. However, dental professionals must understand
that ergonomically, not all loupes are created
equal, even if they claim to be. Comprehending the ergonomic issues that can arise
from using improper loupe designs has never
been more vital to one's career.
My clinical career was cut short because
I previously had a minor neck injury, which
was exacerbated into a major issue after using
nonergonomic loupes. I'm sharing my story
so you can learn now what I learned too late.

Doing your homework
is essential
I bought my first pair of loupes in dental
hygiene school and was told by the sales
rep that they'd enhance career longevity
by maintaining my ergonomics. I stressed
that I was concerned with neck health and
wanted to do everything I could to preserve
it. Loupes were optional at my school but I
made the choice to purchase, even though
I didn't fully understand the ergonomics
of the design. I trusted that what I was
told and what I was buying had ergonomic
benefits, but should have searched out more
information.
After three years in clinical work, I
noticed a pinching pain that radiated down
my left arm and I began to lose feeling in
two fingers. I was told by others within the

dental profession that physical ailments were
"just part of the job." A hard lesson learned
was that even though others have been in
the profession longer, it doesn't mean they
know better or should be trusted with your
health! Be your own health advocate and do
your research. I never should have accepted
pain as a normal way of life, but I did.
Never accept this "part of the job"
statement from anyone! The future of your
career depends on your health. I should
have kept in mind that pain is a message
from the body, saying something is causing
damage and needs urgent attention. But
I ignored that message and neglected to
seek help for my musculoskeletal disorders.
Dentists and hygienists must understand
that our profession places us at high risk
for musculoskeletal disorders because of the
awkward positioning, repetition, duration,
force and contact stress within our jobs.
You can choose to be a martyr, or you can
have a long, pain-free career. The choice is
ultimately yours.

When pain becomes
a major problem
I continued working and tried to treat
the symptoms with chiropractic care or
deep-tissue massages, excusing the loss of
feeling as "OK" because it didn't occur in
my dominant hand. Within five years of
starting my career, I was forced to seek serious
medical attention and months after that, neck
surgery was required. I asked the neurologist
what could have caused my condition; he
recommended finding a way to minimize
tilting my head as I worked-perhaps a
different brand of loupes.
After recovering, I returned to work
and continued to use the same loupes. By


http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown August 2017

Dentaltown August 2017 - Intro
Dentaltown August 2017 - Cover1
Dentaltown August 2017 - Cover2
Dentaltown August 2017 - 1
Dentaltown August 2017 - 2
Dentaltown August 2017 - 3
Dentaltown August 2017 - 4
Dentaltown August 2017 - 5
Dentaltown August 2017 - 6
Dentaltown August 2017 - 7
Dentaltown August 2017 - 8
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Dentaltown August 2017 - Cover3
Dentaltown August 2017 - Cover4
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