Protect Your Most Valuable Asset: YOU

Wpostures that can lead to disabling conditions,” Hubka recommends.

hen Dr. Jennifer Lee was in school, older dentists would tell the students to use better posture—“but it didn’t really ring a bell until after I’d been practicing for two years,” the Honolulu, Hawaii, dentist says. “I lost range of motion in my neck. The chiropractor told me it was a common complaint among dentists

Painful Facts

The goal of ergonomics is to design jobs, tasks, products, and environments according to the cognitive and physical capabilities and limitations of the individuals who perform the tasks or use the products. One important objective is to promote body positions, routines, and tools that place the least amount of stress on the body. Yet, dentists often do the opposite—

and gave me some specific exercises and stretches that helped. The experience really got my attention.”

As Dr. Lee has learned and you probably know, too, dentistry is a physically demanding career… and problems can develop at any age. Your neck, shoulders, back, wrists, or hands can easily become stressed and injured, and the cumulative effect could be potentially disabling.

Not every disability can be prevented, of course, but some can be avoided or minimized through ergonomics—the science of fitting the job to the human being. “Set up your practice in an ergonomically friendly way from the start, and you will likely add many more years of pain-free practice,” says Bea Hubka, CDMS, CCM, a vocational rehabilitation specialist in Denver, Colorado. Hubka is an independent consultant to the ADA Insurance Plans, which are underwritten and administered by Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company.

“From day one, young dentists should think about their work routine and equipment, and be aware of repetitive or otherwise potentially damaging motions or

Leslie Franklin Business Fundamentals Protect Your Most Valuable Asset: YOU

dations may differ depending on the physical requirements of your specialty and the tools you use. “The aim is the same, however—to increase work efficiency and effectiveness while reducing the pain, soreness and musculoskeletal disorders common to dentistry” she says.

twisting and bending into awkward positions, tightly gripping small tools, using forceful, repetitive motions, and working long hours without breaks. The possible result is musculoskeletal pain that could lead to a serious physical disability.

In fact, back and cervical disabilities accounted for nearly one-third of all open claims paid to disabled dentists under the ADA Income Protection Plan in 2009. When arthritis and conditions affecting

Prevention Tips

Hubka and Rice offer the following general tips to help achieve pain-free clinical activity:

the wrist and nervous system were added, the number rose to more than half.1

Scheduling Take frequent breaks. Pausing even briefly can minimize fatigue and stress on your body. Use the breaks to do something different physically—stand up, move around, make a phone call, consult with a patient.

To avoid becoming a disability statistic, Hubka urges dentists to ignore old adages like “no pain, no gain” and “work through the pain,” and to take warning signs seriously. “Pain, inflammation, numbness, and other symptoms of muscle overuse may be signals of a worsening condition, and if not checked, could lead to a permanent disability,” she says. “Make it your goal to practice pain-free by incorporating ergonomics into your day.”

Schedule your day to alternate long, difficult procedures with shorter, easier ones.

Body posture • Alternate between sitting and

standing. • Keep your spine, head, and arms in a neutral position whenever possible. Avoid bending, twisting, and pulling movements.

Valerie Rice, Ph.D., CPE, president of the Foundation for Professional Ergonomics in Bellingham, Washington, notes that specific ergonomic recommen-

Develop visual or verbal cues with your team to remind one another of postures throughout the day. During procedures • Reduce reaching by placing frequently used instruments and materials nearby. • Stretch your hand and fingers each time you put down a tool. • Bring the patient close to you while you work, to reduce the requirement for strong forces. Equipment • Invest in lightweight, high-speed hand tools with larger diameter handles and textured grips. • Make sure loupes are tailored for your individual needs. • Look for an operator’s stool with good back support and foot and arm rests. Ask the vendor about in-office fittings, and the oppor-

Make the perfect transition

tunity to test the equipment for a couple of weeks before buying it.

massage, or yoga, or make time to enjoy a relaxing hobby like photography or reading.

Staying healthy and pain free doesn’t stop at the office. “At home, be aware that activities like pulling weeds or using a screwdriver are similar to the hard, repeated gripping you do at the office,” Hubka says. “Limit your use of chain saws, electric drills, and other vibrating tools that mimic the stressful motions of dental drills.” Experts also suggest you monitor the time spent text messaging to avoid “Blackberry Thumb.”

Something More

Just as a healthy diet can’t guarantee that you’ll never be sick, ergonomics can’t guarantee that you’ll never face a disability.

That’s why it’s critical to have disability insurance as another part of your risk management plan. Disability insurance can provide financial protection for you, your family, and your practice if physical pain or limitation should ever prevent you from working as a dentist.

Rice recommends incorporating exercises into your fitness routine that build core strength and emphasize stretching and musculoskeletal balance, while modifying workouts that could place additional stress on muscles used at work. To reduce mental stress, which tightens

If you haven’t purchased disability insurance yet—or want to take a second look at the coverage you already have— here are two pointers to keep in mind:

Get true “own occupation” coverage. This means you can qualify

muscles even more, try aerobic exercises,

Making that first transition into your career is the most important decision you will ever make. For more than 30 years, ADS and its local transition specialists have helped dental graduates like you make the perfect first transition. As the nationwide leaders in practice purchases, we know the best opportunities wherever it is that you want to be. We are dedicated to your success.

Get off to the perfect start. Visit us online to find your local ADS representative.

ADStransitions.com/localrep

for benefits if a disability prevents you from working in your dental specialty, and you can continue to receive full benefits even if you decide to pursue another career such as teaching or consulting. (Some policies, in contrast, only

pay benefits if you are unable to work in any occupation, or reduce your benefits proportionate to your other earnings.) Also make sure the “own occupation” definition of disability extends to a high age, rather than changing to “any occupation” after just a few years. • Take advantage of guarantee issue opportunities. “Guarantee issue” or “open enrollment” generally means the coverage is guaranteed to anyone who applies, regardless of health or income level. This can be a meaningful “free pass” that lets you get coverto your situation.

age quickly and without risk of being turned down. The ADA, for example, now offers a basic amount of guaranteed disability coverage to students under 40— and premiums are paid by the ADA Insurance Plans during dental school. After graduation, par-

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Practice Harmony at Scottsdale Center for Dentistry is designed to help shape your practice and drive your personal success. Unlike other office design programs, Practice Harmony considers your vision, goals, practice style and economic realities to develop a personalized plan for creating the practice of your dreams. Please see our ad on page 29.

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ticipants have the right to convert coverage into the ADA Income Protection and ADA Overhead Expense plans for practicing dentists without taking a medical exam.

To Learn More

Browse: Three resources to check out:

ADA ergonomic tips at www.ada.org/

sections/educationandcareers/pdfs/

ergonomics.pdf

You are your practice’s most valuable asset. Bring ergonomics into your daily routine so you can enjoy many years of pain-free practice, and get the insurance you need to protect your finances against life’s unexpected events. ■

Mayo Clinic at www.mayoclinic.com.

Search under “ergonomics.”

Practice Dentistry Pain-Free:

Evidence-Based Strategies to Prevent

Pain and Extend Your Career,”

Bethany Valachi, PT, MS, CEAS,

Editor’s Note: This article does not constitute legal, financial, or medical advice. Please seek professional input as appropriate

Posturedontics Press, 2008.

a video recording to analyze your

posture and movements at work and

how you can improve them. Enlist a

colleague to observe you and provide

feedback.

Consult: An ergonomist can help

evaluate and design office space,

assess your operatory, watch

you treat patients, and make

recommendations. Ask your physician

for a referral to an occupational

therapist or physical therapist trained

in ergonomics. Look for someone

who has worked with dentists

and who has a credential such as

Certified Professional Ergonomist/

Human Factors Engineer (CPE or

CHFE). The Board of Certification in

Professional Ergonomics lists certified

individuals (www.bcpe.org). You can

also consult any dental school, your

state department of rehabilitation,

or local Occupational Safety and

Health Administration (OSHA) office

for recommendations.

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