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Bethany Valachi, PT, MS, CEAS, offers you two exercises that can help your day at the dental practice go more smoothly.

Two exercises that can help keep dental professionals pain-free in 2016

Dr. Bethany Valachi, PT, DPT, MS, CEAS is DPR’s ergonomics editor and author of the book,“Practice Dentistry Pain-Free” and clinical instructor of ergonomics at OHSU School of Dentistry in Portland, Ore. She is also the author of the evidence-based "Online Dental Ergonomic & Wellness System for Dental Professionals." A physical therapist who has worked exclusively with dental professionals for more than 15 years, she is recognized internationally as an expert in dental ergonomics, and has been invited to lecture at more than 300 conferences worldwide. She has published more than 50 articles in peer-reviewed dental journals and has developed patient positioning and exercise DVDs specifically for dental professionals. Bethany offers free newsletters, articles, videos and product reviews on her website at www.posturedontics.com and can be reached at info@posturedontics.com.

Imagine hiring a personal trainer, participating in a CrossFit program or simply trying a new gym machine to help improve your musculoskeletal health, only to end up in more pain than when you started! Unfortunately, I hear numerous accounts of this occurring among dentists. Most healthcare professionals do not realize that dentists are predisposed to unique muscle imbalances-certain generic exercises, that are not a problem for the general population, can throw the dentist into a vicious pain cycle.

Why all exercise is not necessarily good exercise for dentists

Your hands are integral to your work. Because of sustained grips and prolonged awkward postures dental professionals must employ throughout the day, they experience nearly four times the prevalence of hand, wrist and arm pain found in the general public.

Hand pain in the dental practice: When it's not carpal tunnel

You may or may not remember the huge marketing fail in 2012 that was the Bic For Her fiasco.

What do women look for in a handpiece?

The i-CAT® FLX is designed to offer the most flexible imaging control of any cone beam 3D unit, allowing dental professionals to target the desired field of view on each patient while minimizing the radiation dose.

Applying i-CAT FLX in your practice

If you’re not seated properly during a procedure, it can become a tedious event that can take its toll on your back and backside by the end of the day.

From Our Board: Seated in comfort

Two out of three dental professionals report occupational pain - pain that if left unaddressed could progress to an injury or career-ending disability. From my 15 years of providing ergonomic consultations in dentistry, I can safely say that the following three ergonomic mistakes are among the primary reasons I see many dentists and hygienists develop debilitating pain syndromes and/or retire early.

3 ergonomic mistakes that could end your dental career

With more than 20 years in the dental publishing industry, Kevin Henry has guided the leading publications in the industry, including serving as the former group editorial director for 

. He now works as the co-founder for IgniteDA, a community designed to empower, enlighten, and educate dental assistants, and as director of marketing for Fortune Management, a coaching community dedicated to help dentists and teams have extraordinary practices and lives. He can be reached at kevinhenry@fortunemgmt.com.

Dr. Walker remembers vividly being in pain, sitting in the middle of an exam during her dental school days. Her shoulders hurt. Her back hurt. She could think of little other than counting the minutes until she could be done and lying flat on her back in her room.

From pain to power: How Dr. Desiree Walker transformed herself into "The Ninja Dentist"

 Prolonged, awkward postures are the greatest culprits for the demise of a dental professional's musculoskeletal health1. Sustained muscle contractions can cause painful muscle ischemia and the development of "tender spots," or trigger points in muscles2.

Stretching your way out of pain in the dental office

 Did you know that nearly two thirds of dentists who retire early are forced to due to a musculoskeletal disorder? And that studies show the prevalence of work-related pain in dentistry today is roughly the same as it was in 1946?  

Ergonomics