Course Overview:

Congress has rescinded the Occupational, Safety, and Health Administration's (OSHA) Ergonomic Standard, however, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao has indicated that another one will be proposed. Therefore, interest in improving the dental workstation and acquiring more ergonomic skills will continue to be of importance to the profession not only form a regulatory standpoint but for the well-being of the profession in general. Dentists, hygienists, and dental assistants, as well as, front desk employees are at risk for many of the signal risk factors for occupational injuries. Disability insurance and workman's compensation claims highlight the need to intervene into the ways in which dentistry is traditionally performed. Training employees to recognize and control ergonomic concerns on their own, at work and at home, is an essential part of controlling lost work time and early retirement. Habitual dental working postures are a direct result of the workstation design used and the operator's performance skills. This presentation will inform the attendees of skills, equipment, and instruments that eliminate risk factors for ergonomic injuries. The effects of reducing workplace risk factors will be related to the advantages of improved efficiency, asepsis, operator balance, fine motor control, illumination, vision and psychological factors.

Course Objectives:

• Prevent the occurrence of work-related musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders, such as tendonitis, low back pain, and carpal tunnel syndrome, by educating employers and employees about workplace risk factors that cause or aggravate them

• Reduce costs related to ergonomic injuries, production losses, and early retirement

• Educate employers and employees about work-related MSK disorders and the workplace risk factors that can cause or aggravate them

• Solve specific ergonomic problems present in the dental treatment area and front office

• Increase productivity through the application of ergonomic principles in the workplace

• Develop and implement effective pre and post employment functional evaluations

• Reduce the severity of work-related MSK disorders through early medical management

• Introduction to dental ergonomics

• Relevant basic anatomy and common ergonomic disorders related to dental practice

• Human physical capabilities and limitations

• History of methods to deliver dental care

• Ergonomic standards for dental equipment, instruments, and devices

• Ergonomic office design principles

• Classification of dental delivery systems according to their ergonomic design

• Introduction of new ergonomic designs of instruments, equipment, and cabinetry

Presenter:

Dr Dougherty has applied and used the ergonomic principles addressed in this presentation in his Aurora, Colorado general practice for 17 years. He made the transition into this working environment after working 14 years with traditional equipment designs and experiencing recurrent back and neck pain. Dr. Dougherty is the founder of the Global Education & Engineering Collaborative, a co-founder of the Denver Academy for Dental Education, a member of the American Dental Association, the Center for Office Technology, and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

To schedule, contact Dr. Dougherty

Next Presentation: September 11, 2007. Professional Dental Arts Educational Center in Lafayette, Colorado. Sign up today by calling by 303-369-5036. Enrollment fee is $45. This course is recommended for all dental professionals and manufacturers.