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Ethics & Law · single question

Regarding operator ergonomics during dental treatment, all of the following are TRUE except:

  1. The patient should be positioned so the operator does not have to bend or twist the neck
  2. A neutral, upright posture with the back supported reduces musculoskeletal injury
  3. Sitting far away from the patient does not affect the operator's health
  4. Repetitive static postures are a leading cause of work-related injury in dentists
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Correct answer: C. Sitting far away from the patient does not affect the operator's health

  • A. This IS true. Adjust the patient and chair to the operator, not the operator to the patient.
  • B. This IS true. Neutral seated posture (thighs parallel to floor, back supported, shoulders relaxed, elbows near the body) is the ergonomic standard.
  • C. Correct — this is the FALSE statement (the exception). Working too far from the patient forces forward reaching, trunk flexion, shoulder abduction and neck extension. That IS harmful: reaching beyond the neutral working zone is one of the most common causes of chronic neck, shoulder and lower-back disorders in dentists.
  • D. This IS true. Prolonged static postures — not heavy lifting — are the dominant injury mechanism in dentistry, producing musculoskeletal disorders in a majority of practitioners.

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