Evaluation of forearm and wrist posture in a dental hygienist's occupational activities
The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of exposure of 210 dental hygienists to forearms and wrists overloading. The study was based on a Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) questionnaire. The results showed that 42.4% and 43.35% of respondents adopted a strenuous working posture of the right and left forearm, respectively. Strenuous inclination of the right and left wrist was reported by 37.1% and 43.8% of respondents, respectively. Additional twisting and lateral deviation of wrists was reported by 83.8% and 84.3% of respondents for the right and left wrist respectively. The results confirm the premise that dental hygienists are at a high risk of overloading their forearms and wrists. Therefore, there is an urgent need to implement preventive measures and to carry out periodic check-ups.