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Essay On Ergonomics

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Ergonomics
Position makes perfect

According to International Ergonomics Association (IEA), “Ergonomics is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimise human well-being and overall system performance.” In short, ergonomics is about the human engineering that aims to protect humans’ health and boost the working efficiency. Also, it is known that health can be divided into physical health, psychological health, and social well-being. In this passage, it will mainly focus on the ergonomics and physical health of dental hygienists as well as the patients.

1. Operation positioning …show more content…

(Figure 2) The head is on top of neutral spine with forward neck flexion 15 to 20 degree or less. For vision, eyes should be directed downward to prevent neck and eye strain.

In addition, in order to maintain the neutral position, the working distance from clinician’s eyes to the patient’s oral cavity is suggested to be 15 to 22 inch. (Figure 3) The shoulders should be relaxed and parallel with the hips and floor. Elbows should be parallel with the floor. Wrist and forearm are in straight line. The full body should be disturbed evenly on the seat. Knees are slightly apart and feet are flat on the floor

Moreover, ergonomically design chairs can put the clinicians into proper position, reducing strain on the spine, lower back, and shoulder, and arms. For the acceptable chair, the chair should have a board, heavy base and readily mobile. Base with five casters provides greater stability and can move around the client’s head during care. The seat is padded firmly and the height depends. The back should also be adjustable for lumbar support. The free rolling provides mobility and casters give free movement around the dental chair.

2. Patient

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