F6: Don’t Let Practicing Dentistry Break Your Bod!

Knowing and practicing ergonomics is crucial for anyone working in dentistry. We all know we should be sitting up straight and protecting our bodies while working, but how do we do that when working on patients? This course will offer practical guidance on incorporating basic ergonomic principles into the operatory. Patient positioning and operator positioning are crucial elements to focus on while in the operatory, and this course will offer a deep dive into both of these topics. It will also cover the differences in operatory design with the unique benefits and challenges specific to each. Finally, we will learn how to reduce our stress and risk of injury with activities such as breathing, exercise, and diet. Practicing dentistry is tough, but it does not have to break your bod!

Educational Objectives:

• Comprehend different strategies to downregulate the nervous system and reduce the risk of future injury

• Understand foundational ergonomic strategies and how to achieve proper ergonomics in the operatory

• Identify proper operator positioning depending on the task or treatment area

• Utilize different patient positions to assist in ergonomic dental practice

• Compare and contrast different operatory layouts