It is interesting to take a look at the life expectancy of
dentists. A 2007 article by Randy Lang, “Stress in Dentistry - It could kill
you!” in ‘Oral Health’, reported that dental literature confirms dentists are
subject to a variety of stress-related physical and emotional problems. He
elucidates:
STUDIES AND STATISTICS
* The suicide rate of dentists is more than twice the rate
of the general population and almost three times higher than that of other
white collar workers.
* Emotional illness ranks third in order of frequency of
health problems amongst dentists, while in the general population it ranks
tenth.
* Coronary disease and high blood pressure are over 25% more
prevalent among dentists than in the general population.
* Dentists suffer psycho-neurotic disorders at a rate of 2
1/2 times greater than physicians.
* The #1 killer of dentists is stress-related cardiovascular
disease.
* The dental profession in North America loses the numerical
equivalent of one large dental school class each year.
And then, CDC said in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report that the dental professionals were 23 times more likely to have IPF
(Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis) than the rest of the population. IPF causes
scarring of the lungs. Something in their workplace environment may have been
poisoning them, investigators said, although they don’t know what.
Starting from a disadvantageous position
So a dentist’s life is starting with a disadvantage, and literally
they are in a unique position. Majority of hours are spent bending over a
patient in an awkward position, their necks often bent or crimped, their backs
strained while trying to peer into the depths of their patient’s mouths and
holding tools for long periods of time. Now with the microscope dentistry, they
are forced to sit in a taut straight back position which can be very bad for
the spinal health.
Covid-19, the last straw that may break the camel’s back?
Now with all the precautions and preparations that a dentist
is supposed to adhere to while attending a patient, it looks like they are the
sacrificial lambs of the millennium. Let us take a closer look.
First of all,
take a look at how a dentist has to wear the PPE (Personal Protective
Equipment) here . While
sealed inside the PPE, one starts sweating profusely. Just watch the above
video at 10.59 minute to see his wet shirt in this much short time of showing
how to wear and remove the PPE. When the dentist works for hours in the clinic,
imagine the wet clothe inside the PPE!
Gloves
In the above video, you will see that the dentist has to
wear two pairs of gloves, the first is one size smaller. Even with the correct
size glove, how I used to wait for the moment of finishing the dental work so
that my hands could be freed and the skin could breathe!
Wearing a pair of gloves one size smaller is unthinkable for
me, but the practicing dentist has no other go. He/she has to tolerate the
hands being cramped for hours together. This is added to the high incidence of
carpel tunnel syndrome among dentists due to repetitive motions and the demands
on their hands.
A study was published in 2011 on the ‘Effects of Wearing the
Wrong Glove Size on Shoulder and Forearm Muscle Activities'. Almost all subjects mentioned that their hands
felt fatigued in the gloves that were one size smaller—a sensation that would
likely increase if the gloves were worn for longer periods. Wearing the wrong glove size led to decreased
forearm muscle activation, that resulted in increased shoulder movements. Myofascial
pain syndrome in the shoulder may be caused by the continuous operation of inefficient
shoulder and forearm muscle activation patterns while wearing gloves of the
wrong size during tasks that require manual dexterity.
Healthy hands are important for many activities in our life
and if their health is non-optimal, dentists have a compromised life!
Masks
Dentists are more prone to acquire infections through saliva
and aerosols. Surgical masks (SMs) are used by dental professionals to reduce
microorganisms shedding from the mouth, nose, and face of the patient. Dental
clinics are places with a high concentration of various infectious
microorganisms, present on the surgical mouth masks used by dental
professionals. A recent (2020 February) study performed for the assessment of
bacterial and fungal contamination on the used surgical masks among dental
professionals found that most of the micro-organisms isolated from the used
surgical mouth mask were potentially pathogenic. Dental professionals should
change the mask after each dental operatory procedure, especially those beyond
2 hours. Double-layered surgical mask or 95% efficiency for aerosol particles
of 3.0 to 5.0 μm in diameter should be provided to patients as well to prevent
cross-contamination.
Continuous use of face mask causes reduction of oxygen in
the blood, reduction of oxygen to the brain, one starts feeling weak and it can
even lead to death.
While wearing the PPE, in 15 to 20 minutes the mask and the
clothes get wet. One cannot drink water or use the
toilet till the PPE is removed, which may be after several hours. On a lighter
note, all lady dentists have to forget about wearing saris and other Indian
dresses and hair styling during the clinic hours!
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7113990/
J Family Med Prim Care. 2020 Feb; 9(2):
759–763.
