Dental loupes (DL) may improve dentists' posture, reducing ergonomic risks and potentially lowering the likelihood of occupational musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The study was recently published in BMC Oral Health.
Furthermore, dental loupes may significantly improve neck and shoulder ergonomic problems, bringing them closer to a neutral posture, the authors wrote.
"The use of dental loupes has been proven to lower ergonomic risk levels related to the working postures of pediatric dentists," wrote the authors, led by Rumeysa Çınar of Tayyip Erdoğan University in Rize, Turkey (BMC Oral Health, March 26, 2025, Vol. 25, 432).
For this study, 23 pediatric dentists performed treatments four days a week, had no prior experience with dental loupes, and had no musculoskeletal disorders. Pulpotomy procedures were conducted on 23 patients using loupes and 23 patients without the wearable magnifying glasses, the study's wrote.
A total of 414 photographs were taken of each dentist three times per patient during both procedures. Clinicians' working postures were analyzed using the Modified-Dental Operator Posture Assessment Instrument (M-DOPAI), a 12-component method that evaluates posture in the hips, trunk, head/neck, upper arms, shoulders, and wrists.
During treatments in which loupes were worn, clinicians showed significantly lower scores for neck forward flexion, lateral flexion, and shoulder posture compared to those without DLs (p < 0.001, p = 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.033). However, wrist posture scores were significantly higher in the DL group (p = 0.008), they wrote.
Additionally, the total M-DOPAI score for clinicians without DLs (16.47 ± 1.59) was notably higher than for those using DLs (14.52 ± 0.89, p < 0.001), indicating improved overall posture with DL use.
However, the study had limitations. Evaluating participants' working postures through photographs may have led them to adjust their posture, potentially affecting the accuracy of the results, the authors added.
"By promoting a more neutral neck and shoulder position, dental loupes may help reduce the risk of occupational musculoskeletal disorders," they concluded.
