DT News - UK - Dental students already plagued by neck and back problems at university

Dental Tribune International

Wed. 14 September 2016

save

LONDON, UK: Undergraduate dental students already experience musculoskeletal pain as dental practitioners do, a study performed at King’s College London Dental Institute and published in the British Dental Journal has found. By surveying 380 King’s students on the issue, researchers found that around half of the respondents had experienced extended periods of pain in the lower back and other parts of their musculoskeletal system.

To make things worse, only every fifth student had sought professional treatment for these problems. Neglecting to seek care, according to the researchers, could result in serious health issues later in life, including musculoskeletal damage.

While pain in practising dentists due to incorrect posture and prolonged static positions during dental treatment is relatively well understood, the study is the first to have conducted extensive research to establish how early the problems start in a dental career. According to the results, lower back pain was already highly prevalent among students at the Dental Institute, with over 50 per cent of those surveyed having experienced lower back pain for at least 30 days during each year of their BDS programme.

In order to prevent the problems from worsening, the researchers introduced preventive measures to students, including a personal trainer giving advice on exercises and coping strategies to help improve their posture in the short term, as well as more widespread use of loupes. Furthermore, co-author of the study Dr Mark Ide announced he has started working with colleagues at the British School of Osteopathy to look at the efficacy of some self-care techniques to help alleviate the problems.

“Chronic neck and back pain is a known problem among dental personnel, to the extent that some eventually have to stop clinical work,” said Prof. Mark Woolford, Dean for Education at the Dental Institute. “It is essential dental schools are aware of this and are taking measures to educate and support those oral healthcare workers in training, at the very beginning of their career.”

The study, titled “Musculoskeletal neck and back pain in undergraduate dental students at a UK dental school—A cross-sectional study”, was published online on 9 September in the British Dental Journal.

To post a reply please login or register

Webinar: How to prevent and address occupational back and neck pain

LEIPZIG, Germany: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are an increasing problem in the dental profession. A new free webinar, to be presented by the ...

Head and neck cancer: Audit suggests lack of optimal patient care

LONDON – Only 3 in 100 head and neck cancer patients in England receive the ideal standard of care, according to the National Head and Neck ...

3-D digital head and neck to revolutionise dental training

GLASGOW – Researchers from Scotland have presented the world’s first anatomically accurate interactive 3-D head and neck learning resource, ...

Bursary cuts: Dental students could be next

LONDON, UK: The British Dental Association together with representatives of other medical organisations met with MP's on Wednesday to speak out against ...

Oversubscribed dentistry degrees in England: Students offered payment to switch university

LONDON, UK: The UK government has adjusted the cap for medical and dentistry courses for 2021 in order to support the National Health Service workforce of ...

University of Birmingham launches new Dental and Biomaterials Testing Service

University of Birmingham Enterprise announces the launch of the Birmingham Dental and Biomaterials Testing Service (BiMaTs), to provide consultancy and a ...

Research indicates HPV may be responsible for increase in head and neck cancer

DERBY, UK: A study conducted by University of Derby researchers has confirmed previous findings of a link between certain lifestyle choices and a higher ...

COVID-19 and dental education: Will dental schools admit new students in 2021?

LEIPZIG, Germany: Since the COVID-19 pandemic has severely restricted access to clinical practice, students around the world have been adversely affected by...

Mobile app for at-home dental screening exhibits both benefits and shortcomings

CARDIFF, Wales: As humanity continues to lean into artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies for all manner of basic life challenges, the realm ...

Interview: “Social sciences need to be taught to dental students”

As a senior lecturer in social science at the University of Bristol’s dental school, Dr Andrea Waylen understands the importance of the behavioural and ...

Education

Live webinar
Wed. 22 October 2025
6:00 pm UTC (London)