Musculoskeletal discomfort and work-related stress in New Zealand dentists

There has been little research into the stressors, psychological distress and musculoskeletal symptoms experienced by dentists. The present study was carried out among a random sample of New Zealand dentists (N=413). The present study aimed to identify the severity of work psychosocial stressors, examine the occurrence of musculoskeletal discomfort and psychological disturbance, and determine relationships between these factors. The average age of the dentists was 43 years, with 74% being male. The annual prevalence of symptoms in both the lower back or neck was 63%, with 49% experiencing symptoms in the shoulders. Older dentists were no more likely to suffer musculoskeletal discomfort than younger dentists. The highest ranking dentistry-specific work-related stressor was ‘patients having a medical emergency’ with 78% scoring this stressor very highly. Dentists scored mental demands as the highest general work-related stressor. One-fifth of the dentists scored highly for psychological disturbance, which was very similar to the general population. Dentists with high scores for dentistry-specific work-related stressors were more likely to have evidence of psychological disturbance. The relationships between psychological disturbance and musculoskeletal discomfort needs to be taken into account when considering any multidisciplinary approach to prevention.