Twisting and reaching during procedures is a common occurrence in a typical dental practice. If you find yourself leaving the office at the end of the day feeling the aches and pains of hours of class 4 and class 5 movements, you’re not alone.

According to a 2009 article from the International Journal of Dental Hygiene, between 64 and 93 percent of dental health professionals experience general musculoskeletal pain. For dentists, the pain is showing up most commonly in the back and neck, and in hygienists, the pain is showing up most commonly in the hands and wrists. Many dental professionals brush off these minor aches and pains and find ways to cope, or simply ignore the pain as they work. But even though these pains seem minor today, they can take a toll on your body.

“It’s hard to think about your career 20 years from now, but ergonomics plays into that. Having an ergonomic setup today allows for career longevity,” said Pete Foster, national sales director of Pelton & Crane, KaVo North America and Marus. “But besides career longevity, good ergonomics allows you to have an improved quality of life today and enjoy life outside of work.”

Fortunately, dental professionals are becoming more aware of ergonomics issues and making changes that empower them to enjoy life outside of work without aches, pains or work-related injuries. “In general, we’re seeing a rising awareness of ergonomic issues in dentistry,” said Emily Zodtner, director of marketing for Pelton & Crane, KaVo North America and Marus. “Traditionally, dental professionals have sacrificed their good health and posture in order to do their job well. There haven’t always been ergonomic options for dental equipment, so for some dentists the pain was just a normal part of the job.”

Addressing pain that exists today is only part of the challenge, though. “One area of focus for us is on the prevention of pain. By providing the right equipment and by educating dental professionals on the importance of ergonomics, we’re able to get in front of pain and stop it before it ever starts,” said Zodtner.

In 1900, Pelton & Crane was founded by Dr. Richard M. Pelton, a dentist, and Mr. Ernest Crane, an electrical engineer, with the intention of delivering the highest quality of workmanship and innovation to the dental industry. Over 100 years later, those values are still present and are reflected in Pelton & Crane’s highly ergonomic and beautifully designed core equipment portfolio. One of the keys to success is in developing a team that is dedicated to these values and has the power to take action when a process isn’t performing optimally.