Dentists

Background. The aviation industry uses crew resource management (CRM) to address the human aspect of error. Dentistry can incorporate these concepts to reduce dental error. The authors provide a checklist to help clinicians mitigate error. Methods. Health care systems have begun to focus on medical error. During the past 30 years, the airline industry has developed mitigation strategies that are being adapted for medicine. CRM involves the use of information, equipment and people to increase safety by targeting early identification of errors. Results. To enhance safety, practitioners must implement forwardthinking strategies. Because human error is inevitable, threat and error management (TEM) techniques are needed to help identify and trap error before it develops into unexpected outcomes. Risk analysis increases situational awareness (SA) of potential dental error. Efficiency increases with early error detection. Conclusions. The authors provide a dental checklist that is divided into "appointment review," "before procedure," "procedure," "before dismissal" and "after dismissal" to organize dental activities in a manner that enhances error detection. Practice Implications. The dental checklist is a tool to incorporate CRM and TEM techniques into the dental care environment to increase SA, safety and efficiency.

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders have serious impact on the profession of dentistry. There is common occurrence of pain due to incorrect posture in dental professionals. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies may cast a new light on preventing and intercepting musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). An epidemiological study was conducted in an effort to contribute to the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders in dentistry. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of MSD at dentists using CAM as a treatment and preventive modality for MSD and to compare job/career satisfaction between dentists who use CAM and conventional therapy (CT). Material and Methods: Dentists registered in Uttrakhand state, India, under the Dental Council of India and registered members of the Indian Dental Association, Uttrakhand branch (N = 1496) were surveyed. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 17. Results: A response rate of 84% (N = 1257) was obtained, revealing that 90% (N = 1131) had the problem of MSD. Seventy three percentage (N = 826) of dentists with MSD reported the use of CAM and CT. Complementary and alternative medicine users reported greater overall health (72.7% vs. 51%, p < 0.001), job satisfaction (61.2% vs. 35%, p < 0.001) and work efficiency compared to CT users. Conclusion: Complementary and alternative medicine therapies may improve quality of life, reduce work interruption and enhance job satisfaction for dentists who suffers from MSD. Through the course of their studies, dentists should be equipped with knowledge on ergonomics and CAM therapies, such as yoga and others, to help them prevent musculoskeletal disorders more effectively.

Aim  To determine the attitude of Spanish general dentists in relation to dental extraction in patients with heart valve prostheses subjected to acenocoumarol anticoagulation.Material and methods  A telephone survey was made of Spanish general dentists, asking about the indicated approach in the case of performing dental extractions in patients with heart valve prostheses subjected to acenocoumarol (Sintrom®) anticoagulation.Results  Of the 271 dentists answered, 175 were male (64.6%) and 96 were female (35.4%), with a mean professional experience of 20.17 ± 9.3 years. A total of 228 dentists (84.1%) indicated the need to refer the patient to a specialist for establishing the required approach, while 43 dentists (15.9%) did not consider such a measure to be necessary. Among this latter group of 43 dentists, 26 (60.5%) considered that acenocoumarol should be withdrawn or replaced by low-molecular weight heparin, while 17 (39.5%) were of the opinion that the anticoagulation regimen should not be modified. In relation to the international normalized ratio, 36 (83.7%) did not consider it necessary to request this parameter. As regards the prevention of endocarditis, 11 (25.6%) specified the need for prophylaxis, although only eight (72.7%) did so correctly. There were no statistically significant differences in behaviour in relation to either gender or years of professional experience.Conclusions  This study identifies a lack of knowledge on the part of the dentists regarding the approach to dental extraction in patients with heart valve prostheses subjected to anticoagulation. Due educational measures therefore should be reinforced among these professionals.

Diabetes has become an epidemic and the incidence of undiagnosed diabetes is growing at an alarming rate. Diabetes is an associated risk factor for chronic periodontitis and has several other oral symptoms including dry mouth and oral infection. Expanding the role of the dentist may prove to be an efficient method of early detection and management of diabetes. The aim of this paper is to critically analyse the literature and determine whether screening for undiagnosed diabetes mellitus is within the dentist&#39;s scope of practice. A PubMed/Google Scholar/Google literature search was conducted of papers published in the English language in the years 1980-2013. Over 140 articles were examined. Reference lists of key articles were also sourced and analysed. The most pertinent articles are presented in this review. Screening for diabetes mellitus in the dental office should only be carried out for high-risk patients in order for such screenings to be cost-effective. Dentists have an et...

Background/Purpose: In Taiwan, dental manpower in hospitals plays an important role in dental education other than clinical service. Questionnaires, as well as a field survey, were conducted to understand the situation of dental manpower in 2007 and 2008. Methods: During the period from 2007 to 2008, questionnaires about dental administration, clinical dental practice, dental education, dental manpower and dental facilities were mailed to the dental departments of 165 hospitals located around Taiwan; 134 completed the questionnaire and mailed it back. The field survey was also carried out by visiting hospitals, to collect and gather information at the local level. There were 102 hospitals within the 134 hospitals which accepted the field survey; the rate was 62.0%. Results: In 2008, the number of dentists working in the hospitals was 1,421, which was approximately 13% of the number of total dentists in Taiwan (9672). Within the 1,421 dentists, 675 were attending staffs and 745 dentists were training residents. Within the 675 attending dentists, 510 (75.6%) had dental specialist certificates and 272 (40.3%) had teaching positions in dental schools. There were 382 dental interns (6 th year undergraduate students) taking the training programs in hospitals, most of whom were trained in medical centers (342/382, 89.5%). Moreover, there were 888 dental assistants, 338 of whom were nurses and the other 550 were hospital self-trained personnel. Conclusion: Comparing the dental manpower of different types of hospitals in Taiwan, the medical center was the best, followed by the regional hospital and the district hospital was last. When comparing 2008 with 2002, the numbers of both dentists and auxiliary personnel in Taiwan's hospitals increased with years. Although there were still only 13% dentists working

Objectives. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was introduced to Norwegian dental clinics in 2007. The aim of the study was to investigate how dental clinics use this imaging modality, including factors related to workflow and image quality, and to evaluate dentists' opinions on and experiences of using it. Materials and methods. A web-based 59-item questionnaire regarding the clinical use of CBCT was sent to all 39 CBCT clinics in Norway. Results. Twenty-nine clinics (74%) responded. Most respondents (93%) were from clinics with more than one dentist and 83% had at least one specialist. All clinics had digital intraoral x-ray receptors and all but one had panoramic imaging. The most common indications for CBCT were implant treatment planning (34% of all clinics) and localization of impacted teeth (43% of specialist clinics). Seventy-two per cent of clinics reported an average of four or fewer CBCT examinations each week and 83% of respondents were subjectively satisfied with the image quality. The most commonly used enhancement functions were contrast (97%), brightness (90%) and zoom (86%). Conclusions. The Norwegian CBCT clinics surveyed were fully digitized and had multiple dentists. Periodontists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons were the most frequent specialties represented in the clinics. Clinics with only dental specialists performed more CBCT examinations/week than clinics with general practitioners or both general practitioners and specialists. The most common indications for CBCT examinations were related to treatment planning. This study found some challenges related to image quality and communication within the radiological team.

Objectives: This study assessed the geographic distribution of dentists in Kentucky, determined socioeconomic correlates of practice location, estimated the future availability of dental providers, and made policy recommendations that could improve access to oral health care in Kentucky and other rural states.Methods: Dentists' addresses were mapped using a geographic information system. Poisson regression modeling and geospatial analyses were conducted using SAS v9.1 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA) and ArcGIS v9.2 (Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc., Redlands, CA, USA), respectively. Data on the number of dentists (n = 2,391) per county (n = 120) were used for the regression models. Explanatory variables included: per capita income, 2006 intercensal population estimates, percent adults with six or more teeth removed, percent population uninsured, physician-to-population ratios, and region type. A simulation model was used to project dentist-to-population ratios to the year 2016.Results: The dental workforce analysis revealed disparities in the distribution of dentists between rural, urban, and Appalachian Kentucky counties. Dentists were more likely to be found practicing in areas with higher income and higher physician-to-population ratios. Compounding this geographic maldistribution, our projections suggest that the number of dentists per unit population will decrease over time in the near future, likely widening this disparity in rural and underserved areas.Conclusions: These results show present and widening workforce disparities in rural and socioeconomically depressed counties in Kentucky. Understanding the geographic distribution of dentists and the socioeconomic correlates of their practice locations may inform workforce development and reimbursement policies for the goal of improving access to oral health care in these areas.

The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry launched its new dental therapy program in September 2009 after the Minnesota state legislature had authorized the training and practice of a dental therapist in May of the same year. The creation of this mid-level dental provider is seen as a workforce solution to help address the problem of access to dental care experienced by some members of our society. However, there is a lack of consensus and even controversy in organized dentistry about dental therapy, one of the mid-level provider models. This study explored the attitudes and perceptions of dental school faculty members who have been tasked to prepare these new dental therapists to do their work. Focus groups were conducted with a randomly selected group of faculty members, the results of which were used to develop a survey of faculty members in all departments of the school. A total of 151 faculty members responded to the survey: 68 percent of these respondents were fifty-one ...

Job stress is common in health care professionals in the west. Less is known about its prevalence in Middle Eastern countries. To determine job stress, its sources and its effect on health care professionals in northern Jordan. A simple random sample of 101 physician specialists, 126 dentists, 52 general practitioners and 123 pharmacists in northern Jordan completed a socio-demographic questionnaire, the General Health Questionnaire, and addressed structured questions about job stress. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analyses were used to describe and compare participants, and a binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with stress and reported health problems. Of the 402 health care professionals, 27% reported high levels of stress. Prevalence was highest among general practitioners (33%), then dentists (30%) and pharmacists (25%). The lowest stress was among physician specialists (12%). Factors associated with the highest stress were being a genera...

The Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center (PAETC) developed and tested over time a curriculum to meet the changed HIV/AIDS-related needs of dental health professionals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the HIV-related knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and behaviors among the participants of a CE training course based on this curriculum, both before and six weeks after the completion of the course. The project recruited 106 participants who were dental health professionals over a ten and a half year period (1992-2003). The dental participants consisted of 79 percent dentists and 21 percent dental hygienists or dental assistants. The sample was 67 percent male, 33 percent female, 45 percent Caucasian, and 24 percent Asian. An adapted questionnaire was used before and after the training to assess the educational needs of the participants and evaluate the success of the program in meeting those needs. Approximately 81 percent of the participants completed both questionnaires...

The first comprehensive review of the recent literature regarding variation in dentists' clinical treatment decisions is presented. Methods: Variation among dentists in the clinical decisions they make as well as the methods used for assessing this variation are examined at three levels of aggregation of clinical decisions: the dental practice (or dentist), the patient, and the individual tooth. Results: The extent to which differences in dentists ' clinical decisions have been examined is limited. Studies are particularly sparse at the level of the dental practice, where the aggregate of dentists' treatment decisions is reflected. Further, the methods and measures used to assess variation tend to be different across studies, making quantification of variation difficult. Nevertheless, the available information reflects substantial variation in measures such as rates of provision of specific procedures; cost and numbers of procedures recommended for specific patients; and diagnoses, intervention decisions, and treatment selections for individual teeth. Conclusions: Even when differences in patients are controlled, variation in dentists ' clinical decisions is ubiquitous. While its consequences remain undetermined, the variation in basic clinical decisions such as caries diagnosis signals the need to consider the extent to which the appropriateness of care is affected. [J Public Health Dent 7995;55(3):78 7-81

Fifty-three years ago, M. M. House devised a classification of patients on the basis of how they behaved in response to the prospect of becoming edentulous and on how they subsequently adapted to wearing complete dentures. Although House&#x27;s system was an important contribution, it failed to consider the dentist&#x27;s emotional reaction to a patient&#x27;s behavior as part of an understanding

To determine the ethical problems faced by dental practitioners, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in Bapuji Dental College and Hospital, College of Dental Sciences and private dental clinics in the city of Davangere. A questionnaire with close-ended questions on eight scenarios was administered to the 135 study participants. In the case of scenario 1, 81.4% of the participants said that the doctor had violated the principle of truthfulness. As for scenario 2, less than 50% of the participants replied that the doctor had breached ethical principles. In case scenario 3, 93% felt that the doctor should have taken the physician&#39;s opinion before extracting a tooth. Most dental practitioners faced ethical dilemmas because of the lack of awareness, and there is a need to introduce certain programmes to promote knowledge of ethics.

Objective:  To determine if interproximal reduction of teeth (IPR) is perceived differently by orthodontists and general dentists. Materials and Methods:  A Web-based survey containing statements about IPR was developed and randomly distributed to orthodontists and general dentists. Results:  The majority of orthodontists and general dentists strongly agreed that IPR is a minimally invasive procedure that poses little risk for the development of interproximal decay. However, general dentists were more likely to perform post-IPR polishing and to apply topical fluoride than are orthodontists (P &lt; .0001). A greater percentage of orthodontists strongly believed that the esthetic and occlusal benefits of IPR outweigh the potential risk of tooth decay when IPR was performed (P &lt; .0001). A greater percentage of general dentists were hesitant to perform IPR, despite research supporting that IPR has little negative effect on the health of teeth. Conclusions:  The results of this study ...

Objective. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of compliance with dental radiography quality assurance recommendations on the part of dental practitioners in the state of North Carolina and to determine whether the age of the practice was an influential factor affecting compliance.

Hepatitis B and C in doctors and dentists in Nigeria ... IO OLUBUYIDE, SO OLA, B. ALIYU, OO DOSUMU1, JT AROTIBA2, OA OLALEYE3, GN ODAIBO3, SO ODEMUYIWA3 and F. OLAWUYI4 ... From Departments of Medicine, 1Restorative Dentistry, and 2Oral & Maxillofacial ...

Aim To investigate the attitudes of general dental practitioners (GDPs) and endodontists in the UK towards management of fractured endodontic instruments.Methodology A questionnaire was sent to 330 systemically selected GDPs and all endodontists working in the UK (170). It was accompanied by a covering letter explaining the aims of the study and indicating that all the information given would remain confidential. Those who did not respond to the first mailing were sent another two mailings. Data were analysed using chi-square test at P ≤ 0.05.Results The overall response rate was 75%. Only 18.5% of respondents reported that they would retrieve instruments located in the apical third of root canals with a significantly higher proportion of endodontists (25.9%) compared with that of GDPs (14%) doing so. A significantly higher proportion of endodontists (98.5%) used ultrasonics for removal of fractured instruments compared with GDPs (75.8%). The most common complication of fractured instrument retrieval was thought to be excessive removal of dentine (67%). The majority of respondents (88.5%) reported that they would leave the unsuccessfully removed file in situ and obturate the root canal.Conclusion Both endodontists and GDPs were aware of the limitations of root canal anatomy when removal of fractured instruments was considered. Excessive removal of dentine, the most common complication associated with the removal process, suggests the need for more conservative techniques. Both endodontists and GDPs demonstrated a conservative approach when management of fractured instruments failed. Further studies regarding attitudes of GDPs and endodontists towards some specific aspects of fractured instruments management are required.

This study explores how dentists explain the concept of social responsibility and its relationship to issues affecting access to oral health care by vulnerable segments of the population. Analysis of open-ended interviews with thirty-four dentists, including dental educators, and administrators and officials of dental public health programs in Canada and the United States revealed that four main themes-economics, professionalism, individual choice, and politics-influenced the respondents&#39; sense of social responsibility in dentistry. There was a belief that social responsibility in dentistry is dominated by economic imperatives that impact negatively on the policies and practices directing access to care. Yet, despite the highly critical stance on dentistry as a business, there was practical recognition of the economic realities of dental practice. Nevertheless, those who focused on social responsibility as a professional obligation highlighted the privileges of self-governance a...

It is often claimed that Social Media are changing the subject of social interaction, empowering people and facilitating new and interactive possibilities. The present paper, an empirically based theoretical reflection on the participative subject, follows Lacan's and Zizek's philosophical and psychoanalytical thinking by questioning the assumed interactive connotation of user profiles, attitudes and behavior through the philosophical and psychoanalytical concept of 'interpassivity'. It describes how Social Media become a new social fetish for many of the so-called 'produsers', reducing the allegedly social interactions into reified and objectified relationships, 'decentering' the subject from within.

As part of the recommended review of the national competencies for beginning general dentists in Canada, a validation survey was distributed to 731 dentists. The survey asked participants to supply demographic information and rate each of the forty-six competencies on a 5-point Likert scale. The response rate was 43.1 percent (315 total usable responses). Self-reported demographic data was used to create respondent subgroups. The participants rated all of the competencies quite high with thirty-six of the forty-six receiving rankings averaging 4.0 or higher on the 5-point scale. No competency received a ranking averaging lower than 3.0. Competencies rated as most important by the entire sample were also rated as most important by all respondent subgroups. The results of this validation survey provide evidence of content validity and reinforce the value of a national competency document that can serve as a reference for curriculum management, program accreditation, and development of certification examinations.

In line with findings throughout Australia, rural, remote and Indigenous Western Australians suffer from a higher burden of oral disease and have less access to dental practitioners and care than their urban and non-Indigenous counterparts. With workforce projections indicating an increase in the shortage of dental practitioners, especially in rural and remote areas, the Centre for Rural and Remote Oral Health (CRROH) in Western Australia set out to establish a sustainable programme to service such increasingly disadvantaged populations. Via the vertical integration of education, service and research CRROH pioneered a sustainable model to deliver much needed oral health services to some of Western Australia&#39;s most remote areas, while primarily focused on addressing the oral health needs of Indigenous Australians. One of the key lessons from the programme has been the development of a strong clinical governance framework and a support network to sustain services in remote locatio...

Clinical success of ceramic laminate veneers depends on material selection, bonding procedures, controlled laboratory steps, and enamel preservation. Enamel preservation is the most critical because excessive tooth preparation can expose dentin reducing bond strength, which is a factor that can cause a decrease in long-term clinical success. The proposed technique based on carefully treatment planning developed between clinician and dental technician helps to maximize enamel preservation, which is an important element for clinical success.

In clinical decision making, dentists routinely choose between alternative treatments such as crown vs amalgamlcomposite buildup, root canal vs extraction, fixed bridge vs removable partial denture, and prophylaxis vs subgingival curettage or periodontal scaling. A number of technical and patient factors can influence dentists' choice of treatment in these situations; however, little is known about their relative importance. To address this issue, a list of technical (e.g., periodontal status and caries rate) and patient (e.g., cost and patient preference) factors possibly influencing choice of treatment was developed for each pair of services. Responding to a mail questionnaire, 156 general dentists in Washington State listed the top three factors influencing their choice of service in each pair. Results revealed that dentists took different factors into account in choosing among alternative treatments. Technical factors dominated over patient concerns; only about 33 percent of the dentists considered patient factors important in choosing alternative therapies. The latter group was less preventively oriented, were solo practitioners, worked longer hours, and had lower prices. Results suggest patients may have little influence on prescriptions of therapy among experienced general dentists.

The Australian Dental Council is responsible for the assessment of overseas-qualified dentists seeking to practice dentistry in Australia. The aim of this paper is to reflect on the Council&#39;s assessment and examination process through the experiences and perceptions of overseas-qualified dentists in Australia. Qualitative methods were used. Life stories of 49 overseas-qualified dentists from 22 nationalities were analysed to discern significant themes and patterns. We focused on their overall as well as specific experiences of various stages of the examination. The analysis was consistent with a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to social scientific research. Most participants referred to &#39;cost&#39; of the examination process in terms of lost income, expenses and time. The examination itself was perceived as a tough assessment process. Some participants seemed to recognise the need for a strenuous assessment due to differences in patient management systems in Australia c...

Confidentiality and privacy have always been a vital part of the health care provider-patient relationship. The aim of this study was to identify and analyze the knowledge, attitudes, and awareness of dentists in Croatia concerning patients' confidentiality and privacy and to determine the degree to which they were protecting patients' confidentiality and privacy in everyday practice. Survey data were collected from seventy of the approximately 4,000 dentists in Croatia who had been randomly selected using the registry of the Croatian Chamber of Dental Medicine. Our strategy for data collection included visits to the dental offices and clinics. The data showed that dentists displayed a lack of awareness and had a poor attitude toward respecting patients' rights to confidentiality and privacy. This study indicated the need to educate dentists about their responsibilities and legal obligations.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for neck pain in dentists of Tehran province and to analyze the association of neck pain with individual and occupational characteristics. Following ethical approval, a cross sectional study was conducted on 300 randomly selected dentists at Tehran city. Different questionnaires were used to collect personal and occupational characteristics as well as the prevalence and risk factors of neck pain. The Iranian validated version of visual analogue scale and neck disability questionnaires were also used to assess the pain intensity and functional disability of neck, respectively. Point, last month, last year and lifetime prevalence of neck pain were 19.3%, 27.3%, 29.9% and 34.7%, respectively. The prevalence of neck pain was significantly correlated with regular exercise, general health condition and having an assistant (P&lt; 0.05 in all instances) and was not significantly correlated with body mass index, ag...

As a signatory to the World Health Organisation 2003 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Malaysia has policies in place and funded 300 public Quit clinics. Unfortunately, government dentists are not included to run tobacco dependence treatment. A cross-sectional exploratory survey was carried out to seek Malaysian dentists&#39; opinion on their knowledge, perception and willingness to conduct tobacco dependence treatment. Participation was voluntary from those who attended a specially designed one-day, four-module workshop on tobacco cessation intervention. Data were collected using the Audience-Response-System equipment which tracked immediate responses covering four domains namely: smoking as a public health problem, smoking as an addiction, the role of dentists in the programme and confidence in conducting smoking cessation in the clinic. Sample comprised more female dentists (73.5%), mean age 33.6 (SD 8.99) years and with more than 3 years working experience. Findings indic...

This article describes Colombia's development of formal dentistry, its dental school system, curriculum, and dental licensure, and current issues in oral health care. In 1969, there were only 4 dental schools in Colombia; at this writing there are 21. Five dental schools are public and the other 16 are private. Nearly all classes are conducted in Spanish. Undergraduate pre-dental coursework is not a prerequisite for dental school in Colombia. To obtain licensure, Colombian dental students must complete 5 years of study in dental school, earn a diploma, and work for the government for 1 year. There are approximately 41,400 dentists in Colombia, and the number is increasing quickly. However, the unemployment rate among dentists is very high, even though graduation from dental school is extremely difficult. Although the 1,100:1 ratio of citizens to dentists is considered satisfactory, access to dental care is limited due to the high rate of poverty. (J Oral Sci 52, 137-143, 2010)

Introduction: Dentistry in Jordan is an attractive profession due to the high social standard it provides. This study aimed to investigate whether dentists would choose dentistry again and whether their professional expectations would change after years of practice. Of special interest were possible differences according to gender, age, degree and place of work.

To investigate attitudes of Greek dentists regarding the restoration of root canal treated (RCT) teeth and to compare them to recommended guidelines. Additionally, to examine relationships between degree of dentists' professional experience or region of practice location and attitudes of restoring RCT teeth. Method: Data were collected from 302 dentists using a structured self-administered questionnaire. For each dentist a score was assigned reflecting the level of compliance with scientific recommendations for restoration of RCT teeth. Results: 89.4% of the respondents reported that not every RCT tooth requires a post while the 46.4% stated that a post reinforces it. 76.2% of the participants believed that the ferrule design provides a reinforcement to RCT teeth. Dentists with 6-20 years of experience showed a higher level of compliance with the principles in the literature than their colleagues with less or more years of practising. No significant difference was detected between dentists practising in urban and rural areas. Conclusions: The majority of Greek dentists had knowledge in accordance with recommended guidelines, except the aspect of the reinforcement effect by the post. In contrast to the region of practice location, the degree of professional experience influenced the restoration of root-treated teeth.

This article discusses caries management by risk assessment for children age 0-5. Risk assessment is the first step in a comprehensive protocol for infant oral care. The program includes opportunities to establish a &quot;dental home&quot; and provide guidance for improved health outcomes. Risk assessment forms, instructions for use, and guidance-related education points have been included. Collaboration among all health professionals regarding early and timely intervention to promote children&#39;s oral health and disease prevention is emphasized.

In comparison with people in other occupations, dentists and dental hygienists are at increased risk of developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders, including carpal tunnel syndrome. An important risk factor in dental practice is forceful pinching, which occurs during dental scaling. Ergonomically designed dental instruments may help reduce the prevalence of MSDs among dental practitioners. In the authors&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; study, 24 dentists and dental hygienists used 10 custom-designed dental scaling instruments with different handle diameters and weights to perform a simulated scaling task. The authors recorded the muscle activity of two extensors and two flexors in the forearm with electromyography, while thumb pinch force was measured by pressure sensors. Handle designs of periodontal instruments had significant (P &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; .05) effects on hand muscle load and pinch force during a manual scaling task. The instrument with a large diameter (10 millimeters) and a light weight (15 grams) required the least amount of muscle load and pinch force. There was a limit to the effect of handle diameter, with diameters larger than 10 mm having no additional benefit; however, the study did not identify a limit to the effect of reducing the weight of the instrument, and therefore instruments lighter than 15 g may require even less pinch force. The results from this study can guide dentists and dental hygienists in selection of dental scaling instruments.