Investigation of the relationship between workload, working posture and postural awareness in dental professionals

Abstract Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are common among dental professionals, affecting more than half of practitioners during their careers, and represent a leading cause of occupational health problems in dentistry. This study explores the relationships between dentists' work posture, postural awareness, and workload, aiming to uncover critical factors contributing to MSDs within the profession. Sixty-two dentists (mean age 33 years; 53% female) participated in face-to-face interviews with data gathered using the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) for workload assessment, the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) for posture evaluation, and the Postural Habits and Awareness Scale (PHAS) for measuring postural awareness. Statistical analyses, including Pearson correlation tests, were performed with SPSS version 26. The average NASA-TLX workload score was 34.29 ± 8.76, while the REBA posture score averaged 9.23 ± 2.30, indicating a high risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders due to poor postures. The PHAS score for postural awareness was 59.03 ± 7.97, suggesting a moderate awareness level. No significant correlations were found between workload and PHAS ( r = 0.084, p = 0.515), workload and REBA ( r = 0.114, p = 0.378), or PHAS and REBA ( r = –0.024, p = 0.856), even though dentists encountered high physical demands and high-risk postures that elevate MSD risk. Additionally, while physical demands varied with expertise, no differences were observed by gender. These results highlight that, despite moderate postural awareness, dentists are exposed to high physical demands and high-risk postures, such as neck and back flexion, trunk twisting, and unsupported arm positions, which increase the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. The absence of a significant link between workload, posture, and postural awareness points to the need for further investigation to fully understand the complex factors contributing to MSDs among dental professionals.