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.

Health professionals like physiotherapists require additional choices in portable dynamometers to conduct evaluations pre- and post-intervention in order to accurately measure the efficacy of treatments and patient progression and to adjust rehabilitation goals. New dynamometers have arrived on the market, but there is no evidence for performance of the Kinvent. This study aimed to investigate intra- and inter-rater reliability (ICC one-or-two-way-random-model/Bland–Altman) of the Kinvent hand-held dynamometer in the muscle groups of the lower and upper limbs (COSMIN guidelines). The Kinvent showed a good to excellent intra- and inter-rater reliability for almost all the upper and lower limbs movements assessed. Ankle dorsiflexion was moderate in all assessments.

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.

Aim: This study aimed to assess the prevalence, anatomical distribution, and contributing biological and psychosocial factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among dental students. Subject and methods: We used the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) to determine the prevalence and anatomical distribution of WMSDs, integrating biological and psychosocial variables, including stress, anxiety, and quality of life levels measured by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7), and World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief Form (WHOQOL-Bref), respectively. We used chi-square tests to analyze differences between the prevalences of independent groups, and binary logistic regression models to identify potential predictors among sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics. Results: A total of 239 students were contacted to participate and 123 answered the questionnaire, setting the response rate at 51.5%. We excluded 18 for being over 30 years old and 25 for having diagnosed and ongoing musculoskeletal injuries, leaving 80 participants. They were 77.5% women and 22.5% men with 22.69 ± 1.63 years, 1.67 ± 0.08 m, 60.44 ± 10.94 kg and a body mass index (BMI) of 21.46 ± 2.61 kg/m ² . A total of 91.3% of the participants reported symptoms in at least one body region in the past year. The neck and lower back (63.8%) were the most frequently affected areas, followed by 40% in the shoulders and 31% in the wrists/hands. Over the period of a week, 23.8% experienced symptoms in the lower back, 21.3% in the cervical region, and 15% in both shoulders and wrists/hands. Additionally, male students are 90% more likely to develop WMSDs in the shoulders, and students with anxiety are 49% more prone to refer WMSDs in lower back region. Conclusion: High WMSDs rates were observed in dental students in neck, low back, and shoulders. Male students and those with increased levels of anxiety were more likely to develop WMSDs. Further investigation focused on the motor-behavior adaptations and psychosocial determinants underpinning these findings is fundamental to fully understand them, allowing the development and implementation of strategies to prevent and manage WMSDs in dental students.

Neck pain can induce specific motor responses and alterations in muscle strength. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate and compare the progression of cervical muscle strength within and between students with and without neck pain over the course of their first semester of clinical training. We used an online Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire for group allocation, and neck strength in flexion, extension, and lateral flexion on both sides was measured using the KForce Bubble Pro hand-held dynamometer. Forty-four students were divided into neck pain (n = 21) and asymptomatic (n = 23) groups. Both groups increased neck strength by the end of the semester in flexion, extension, and left and right lateral flexion (p < 0.001). Students experiencing neck pain showed a significantly lesser degree of improvement (p = 0.036) in right lateral flexion. The agonist/antagonist ratios revealed an enhanced role of neck extensors across both groups. Dental students showed overall increased cervical strength in their first semester of clinical training. Those with neck pain exhibited a diminished rate of strength gain in right lateral flexion when compared with students without pain by the semester’s end, suggesting different neuromuscular adjustments to clinical practice in students experiencing pain, which may lead to functional impairments in later training stages.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are concerning among dental students. The study aims to compare the prevalence of MSDs between male and female dental students. A total of 63 dental students completed the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. The results showed that female students had a higher prevalence of symptoms in the neck and lower back compared to those of the male students. In the weekly assessment, male students had a higher occurrence of symptoms in the hands and wrists. These findings emphasize the need to address musculoskeletal issues among dental students, targeting their different etiologies to prevent disabilities and early retirements associated with MSDs.