Dental Clinic Redesign for Optimal Ergonomics

Positioning of Dental Care Professionals 

During the course of a typical dental examination and treatment, dental professionals tend to lean, bend, and contort themselves in order to view and access the small space in their patients’ mouths. These efforts lead to unnatural, potentially injurious postures that can negatively impact the professional’s health.^(2,4) 

Data shows there is a 70% incidence of back pain among dentists, with low back pain predominating in 47.6% of cases, followed by pain in the neck, shoulders, and upper back.⁽⁵⁾ Of those who experience pain, 14% report that their symptoms interfered with their work.⁽⁶⁾ 

The recommended posture for the dental professional while working is shown in the figure. The head is centered and tilted slightly forward, but not more than 20 degrees.⁽²⁾ The back is upright with the natural curves supported, with or without a back support on the chair. Shoulders are oriented over the hips. Lower legs are vertical, with feet on the floor. 

Figure. The ideal posture of the oral health professional. 

^{Source: FDI, 2021.} 

The patient should be positioned according to the clinician’s ideal posture and reference point. The assistant is optimally positioned and seated so that their eyes are 15 to 20 cm higher than the dentist’s eyes.⁽²⁾ The assistant’s stool should have a foot support to allow work in the oral cavity.  

Workstation Layout 

Ergonomics involves arranging the workplace to optimize flow and natural body movements, including promoting optimal healthy posture during work. This functional priority can be disrupted when aesthetics are given priority over function and when new technologies are introduced.^(3,7) 

The basic principles of ergonomics can be applied to workstation design and layout:⁽³⁾ 

• Importance: the most important items should be placed in the most accessible locations; 

• Frequency of use: the most frequently used items should be placed in the most accessible locations; 

• Function: items with similar functions should be placed together 

• Sequence of use: items should be laid out in the same sequence they are used. 

Dental fixtures and equipment are available that promote ergonomic functionality and posture. These include:^(3,7,8) 

• Dental cabinets with adjustable shelves that can be tailored to the clinician; 

• Dental chairs with customizable settings and back support;  

• Adjustable-height counters; 

• Touch-screen monitor controls rather than switches 

• Lightweight electric tools rather than air-driven ones 

• Treatment lights that can be positioned so that clinicians do not have to lean, bend, or twist to see the oral cavity properly. 

Office Layout 

Most dental offices are laid out for good flow of patients through the treatment area, although it may not always be optimal. For example, reception and waiting areas may become bottlenecks if not enough space is available to handle the patient load and accommodate scheduling and business operations commensurate with the size of the practice.³ Inadequate space for copying machines, patient files, and other office equipment can slow down reception staff productivity and contribute to a people and task bottleneck. As a practice grows, so, too, should the reception and waiting space. 

Patient treatment areas should be located close to the reception area to minimize patient flow through task-centered areas, such as X-ray, sterilization, or storage areas.⁽³⁾ 

Inventory ergonomics is another area of interest to dental offices due to their high use of disposable or single-use supplies.⁽³⁾ Often, such inventory is stored in the drawers of treatment areas, reducing treatment-area efficiency and creating undue clutter. Stocking drawers for daily use helps eliminate this problem. Similarly, storage rooms are often overstocked with items that can be ordered and restocked overnight. Stocking 10 days worth of inventory may significantly reduce excess clutter and disorganization and make it easier for staff to find inventory when needed. 

For offices that cannot expand their space, the principle of Zero Changeover may be helpful.3 This involves configuring the same workspace for different purposes simply by changing or reconfiguring the equipment. For example, a treatment room may be used for different procedures by changing between pre-arranged equipment trays and tubs, which are switched to reconfigure the room according to need.   

Take-Home Message 

Dental offices can be upgraded to improve efficiency and safety by applying some ergonomic principles. These principles can help reduce the heavy burden of back, neck, and shoulder pain among dental professionals. Similarly, the principles of ergonomics can be applied to dental office layout and flow to improve efficiency. Paying attention to ergonomics is especially important as a dental practice grows in volume and incorporates new technologies. 

^References:

^{1. Ergonomics. Merriam-Webster Dictionary website. Published 2025. Accessed March 2, 2025. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ergonomics}

^{2. Ergonomics and posture guidelines for oral health professionals. World Dental Association (FDI). 2021. https://www.fdiworlddental.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/FDI_HSDW_ergonomics_and_posture_guidelines_eng_2021.pdf}

^{3. Ahearna DJ, Sanders MJ, Turcotte C. Ergonomic design for dental offices. Work. 2010;35:495-503. doi:10.3233/WOR-2010-0986}

^{4. Sachdeva A, Bhateja S, Arora G. Ergonomics in dentistry: A comprehensive review. J Dent Res Rev. 2020;7(1):32-35. doi:10.4103/jdrr.jdrr_87_19}

^{5. Gaowgzeh RA, Chevidikunnan MF, Al Saif A, El-Gendy S, Karrouf G, Al Senany S. Prevalence of and risk factors for low back pain among dentists. J Phys Ther Sci. 2015;27(9):2803–2806. doi:10.1589/jpts.27.2803}

^{6. Burger D. Dentist Health and Well-Being Survey Report finds dentists struggle with anxiety, discomfort at work. ADA News. 2022. https://adanews.ada.org/ada-news/2022/february/dentist-health-and-well-being-survey-report-finds-dentists-struggle-with-anxiety/}

^{7. Pasha Z, Prasanna PS, Kshirsagar JS, et al. Unlocking the potential of ergonomics in dentistry: Current insights and future directions: A review. J Dent Panacea. 2023;5(3):109-114. doi:10.18231/j.jdp.2023.025 2348-8727}

^{8. Datkar D, Sibal A, Kale B. Ergonomics in dentistry: A review. J Res Med Dent. 2022;10(7):087-091. https://www.jrmds.in/articles/ergonomics-in-dentistry-a-review.pdf}