Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders Symptoms among Czech Dental Students. Part 1: a Questionnaire Survey

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) frequently occur among dentists and dental students. The first aim of this study was to gather and analyze information about the prevalence of symptoms of MSDs. The second aim was to determine a correlation between subjectively described complaints and the results of an objective examination of the spine using the Spinal Mouse® device; that part is described in the second section of this article. Dental students of the first, third and fifth years at Charles University, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové were included. The participants filled out a questionnaire regarding the prevalence of symptoms of MSDs and the potential risk factors. From a total of 182 students that participated in this study, 71 reported musculoskeletal pain (prevalence 39%). The musculoskeletal pain was more frequent among women. During the studies its prevalence increased. The most frequent areas of pain were neck, lower back and upper back. The results indicate that musculoskeletal pain often begins and continues to develop throughout the dentistry studies.