A Novel Ergonomic Curette Design Reduces Dental Prophylaxis-Induced Muscle Work and Fatigue
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Testers
2.2. Protocol
2.3. Instruments
2.4. Surface Electromyography (sEMG)
- Abductor Pollicis Brevis (APB)
- First Dorsal Interosseous (FDI)
- Flexor Pollicis Longus (FPL)
- Extensor Digitorum Communis (EDC)
2.5. Evaluation Criteria
- A.
- Fatigue: Testers completed a standard VAS scale that ranged from 0–10, with 0 being no fatigue and 10 being maximum fatigue in the hand.
- B.
- Comfort in wrist, fingers, and palm: Testers completed a standard VAS scale that ranged from 0–10, with 0 being complete comfort and 10 being maximum discomfort at the wrist, fingers, and palm, respectively.
- C.
- Pinch strength was measured 3 times before and 3 times after each study arm by means of a dynamometer. The tester was blinded during measurement.
- D.
- Grasp strength was measured 3× before and 3× after each study arm by means of a dynamometer. The tester was blinded during the measurement.
- E.
- Muscle work during scaling: sEMG traces were analyzed using the BTS EMG analyzerTM software (FREEEMG, ©BTS Engineering, Quincy, MA, USA).
- F.
- Using video recordings of all instrumentation by each clinician, one pre-standardized evaluator with more than 20 years of experience in dental hygiene and instrumentation expertise evaluated the following variables:
- (a)
- Clinicians’ grasp:
- (a1)
- Finger positioning, including finger pad, index, and middle finger placement on the instrument: Correct/Incorrect
- (a2)
- Maintaining an ergonomically favorable C-shaped convex configuration of the index finger and thumb, using a “knuckles up” position to prevent joint hyperextension: Yes/No
- (a3)
- Fingertip blanching, indicative of an excessively tight grasp: Yes/No
- (b)
- Approximately 70-degree blade-to-tooth adaptation: Correct/Incorrect
- G.
- Clinicians were asked to provide open-ended comments regarding the two handle designs. Additionally, participants were asked to indicate which instrument they preferred and the reasons for their preference.
2.6. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Comfort and Fatigue (Figure 3)
3.2. Pinch Force and Grasp Force (Figure 4)
3.3. Surface EMG Data (Figure 5)
3.4. Video-analysis of Curette Grasp and Adaptation
3.5. Tester Comments
4. Discussion
5. Practical Implications and Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Curette A | Curette B | |
---|---|---|
Instrument Type | Barnhart 5/6 | Barnhart 5/6 |
Handle Material | Silicone-covered | Stainless-steel |
Curette Configuration | Adaptive | Rigid |
Handle Length | 104 mm | 104 mm |
Instrument Length | 172 mm | 168 mm |
Handle Diameter @ Pen Grip | 12.41 mm | 8.43 mm |
Curette Weight | 14.60 g | 14.65 g |
Blade Material | Stainless-steel | Stainless-steel |
Criterion | Curette A | Curette B |
---|---|---|
Index finger and thumb pads remained opposed | 100 (15) | 80 (12) |
Correct middle finger placement | 100 (18) | 80 (14) |
Hyperextension of the index finger or thumb avoided | 80 (9) | 40 (5) |
Correct ring finger position | 100 (10) | 80 (8) |
Criterion | Curette A | Curette B |
---|---|---|
The terminal shank is parallel to the long axis of the tooth | 100 (15) | 80 (12) |
Blade maintained at a 60–80-degree angle to the tooth | 100 (18) | 80 (14) |
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Lin, K.; Wink, C.; Dolan, B.; Osann, K.; Habib, A.A.; Gehrig, J.; Wilder-Smith, P. A Novel Ergonomic Curette Design Reduces Dental Prophylaxis-Induced Muscle Work and Fatigue. Dent. J. 2023, 11, 272. https://doi.org/10.3390/dj11120272
Lin K, Wink C, Dolan B, Osann K, Habib AA, Gehrig J, Wilder-Smith P. A Novel Ergonomic Curette Design Reduces Dental Prophylaxis-Induced Muscle Work and Fatigue. Dentistry Journal. 2023; 11(12):272. https://doi.org/10.3390/dj11120272
Chicago/Turabian StyleLin, Kairong, Cherie Wink, Ben Dolan, Kathryn Osann, Ali A. Habib, Jill Gehrig, and Petra Wilder-Smith. 2023. "A Novel Ergonomic Curette Design Reduces Dental Prophylaxis-Induced Muscle Work and Fatigue" Dentistry Journal 11, no. 12: 272. https://doi.org/10.3390/dj11120272