This study aimed to determine the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in dental students and analyze the potential associated risk factors. This review was registered in PROSPERO with the number CRD42022349864. We performed a meta-analysis calculating event rates with relative 95% confidence intervals for each body region. Two investigators systematically searched Cochrane, Pubmed, Scopus, and EBSCO databases following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Sixteen studies, with 3761 dental students, were included. The highest 7-day prevalence was in the lower back (27.2%; 95% CI 20–35), neck (27%; 95% CI 19.1–35.8), and upper back (24.2%; 95% CI 17.2–32). Yearly occurrence was mainly in the neck (51%; 95% CI 41–61), followed by shoulders (45.3%; 95% CI 37.6–53.1) and lower back (42%; 95% CI 34.1–50.2) and a fraction of these reported that symptoms in lower-back (15.2%; 95% CI 12.1–18.5), neck (13.9%; 95% CI 10.6–17.5) and shoulders (12.2%; 95% CI 8.7–16.3) affected work or normal activities. Associated contributing factors include female sex, poor posture habits, inadequate ergonomics knowledge, sedentary lifestyle, high physical activity levels, poor quality of life, and smoking. In contrast, engaging in physical exercise has positively impacted mitigating the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. WMSDs have a high prevalence among dental students, particularly in the cervicothoracic, lumbar, and shoulder regions, having a significant impact since training years. Further research with a multidimensional approach with psychosocial and physical assessments is recommended to understand this issue thoroughly.

Ageism refers to stereotyping (how we think), prejudice (how we feel), and discrimination (how we act) against people based on their age. It is a serious public health issue that can negatively impact older people’s health and quality of life. The present protocol has several goals: (1) adapt the Ambivalent Ageism Scale for the general Portuguese population and healthcare professionals; (2) assess the factorial invariance of the questionnaire between general population vs. healthcare professionals; (3) evaluate the level of ageism and its predictors in the general population and evaluate the level of ageism and its predictors in healthcare professionals; (4) compare the levels of ageism between groups and the invariance between groups regarding the explanatory model of predictors of ageism. This quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive, observational study will be developed in partnership with several Healthcare Professional Boards/Associations, National Geriatrics and Gerontology Associations, and the Universities of the Third Age Network Association. The web-based survey will be conducted on a convenience sample recruited via various social media and institutional channels. The survey consists of three questionnaires: (1) Demographic data; (2) Ambivalent Ageism Scale; (3) Palmore-Neri and Cachioni questionnaire. The methodology of this study will include translation, pilot testing, semantic adjustment, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and multigroup analysis of the Ambivalent Ageism Scale. Data will be treated using International Business Machines Corporation (IBM^®) Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS). Descriptive analysis will be conducted to assess the level of ageism in the study sample. The ageism levels between the two groups will be compared using the t-student test, and two Structural Equation Modeling will be developed to evaluate the predictors of ageism. Assessing ageism is necessary to allow healthcare professionals and policymakers to design and implement strategies to solve or reduce this issue. Findings from this study will generate knowledge relevant to healthcare and medical courses along with anti-ageism education for the Portuguese population.

Pain in masticatory muscles is one of the most frequent symptoms in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and can lead to changes in the patterns of neuromuscular activity of masticatory muscles and decrease in bite force. This study assesses the effects of three eight-week exercise programs on pain intensity, neuromuscular activation, and bite force of masticatory muscles in patients with TMD. Forty-five patients were divided into three groups: a therapeutic exercise program (G1), a therapeutic and aerobic exercise program (G2), and an aerobic exercise program (G3). The masticatory muscles’ pain was evaluated using the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity of the masseter was recorded during maximum voluntary contraction and at rest, and bite force was evaluated using a dynamometer. These parameters were evaluated twice at baseline (A01/A02), at the end of the eight-week intervention period (A1), and 8–12 weeks after the end of the intervention (A2). After intervention, G2 showed the best results, with a significantly decrease in masticatory muscles’ pain and increase in bite force. These results suggest that interventions to reduce pain in patients with TMD should be multimodal.

Cervical pain has been linked to increased motor unit activity, potentially associated with the initiation and progression of chronic neck pain. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the time-course changes in cervical superficial muscle activation patterns among dental students with and without neck pain throughout their initial semester of clinical training. We used an online Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire for group allocation between neck pain (NP) (n = 21) and control group (CG) (n = 23). Surface electromyography (sEMG) of the sternocleidomastoid and upper bilateral trapezius was recorded before starting their clinical practice and after their first semester while performing a cranio-cervical flexion test (CCFT) in five increasing levels between 22 mmHg and 30 mmHg. After the first semester, both the CG (p < 0.001) and NP (p = 0.038) groups showed decreased sternocleidomastoid activation. The NP group exhibited a concomitant increase in upper trapezius coactivation (p < 0.001), whereas the muscle activation pattern in asymptomatic students remained unchanged (p = 0.980). During the first semester of clinical training, dental students exhibited decreased superficial flexor activity, but those with neck pain had increased co-contraction of the upper trapezius, likely to stabilize the painful segment. This altered activation pattern could be associated with further dysfunction and symptoms, potentially contributing to chronicity.

To assess the effects of three 8-week exercise programs on the frequency, intensity, and impact of headaches in patients with headache attributed to temporomandibular disorder (TMD). Thirty-six patients diagnosed with headache attributed to TMD participated in the study and were divided into three groups of 12 patients: a therapeutic exercise program (G1, mean age: 26.3±5.6 years), a therapeutic and aerobic exercise program (G2, mean age: 26.0±4.6 years), and an aerobic exercise program (G3, 25.8±2.94 years). Headache frequency and intensity were evaluated using a headache diary, and the adverse headache impact was evaluated using the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6). The intensity was reported using the numerical pain rating scale. These parameters were evaluated twice at baseline (A01/A02), at the end of the 8-week intervention period (A1), and 8–12 weeks after the end of the intervention (A2). At A1, none of the G2 patients reported having headaches, in G1, only two patients reported headaches, and in G3, ten patients reported headache. The headache intensity scores (0.3 [95% CI: -0.401, 1.068]), (0.0 [95% CI: -0.734, 0.734]) and HIT-6 (50.7 [95% CI: 38.008, 63.459]), (49.5 [95% CI: 36.808, 62.259]), significantly decreased in G1 and G2 at A1. At A2 headache intensity scores (0.5 [95% CI: -0.256, 1.256]), (0.0 [95% CI: -0.756, 0.756]) and HIT-6 (55.1 [95% CI: 42.998, 67.268]), (51.7 [95% CI: 39.532, 63.802]) in G1 and G2 haven’t change significantly. The effects obtained immediately after the completion of the intervention programs were maintained until the final follow-up in all groups. The programs conducted by G1 (therapeutic exercises) and G2 (therapeutic and aerobic exercise) had significant results at A1 and A2.