EVALUATION OF OCCUPATIONAL BODY PAIN RELATED TO TRAPEZIUS MUSCLE IN DENTAL STUDENTS

Studies showed that dentists experience more neck, shoulder and back pain than practitioners in other occupational groups. Dental education is regarded as a complex, demanding and often stressful pedogogical procedure. Students are exposed to increasing level of physical and mental stress. The aim of this study is to examine the type of trapezius muscle pain and related regions in sophomore and senior class students at University of Istanbul, Faculty of Dentistry. We administrated a self-reporting questionnaire of 23 questions. The results of this study revealed that high percentage of students have pain and the incidence of pain was higher in women than men. Neck was the most common and most painful area of the body. The duration of physical work, both the percentage of students reporting pain and the most symptomatic pain increased in senior class students due to the years spent in the faculty and the duration of physical work.The pain is the only preceding symptom of musculoskeletal disorders. Body pain that begins to appear early in the career should be taken into account as an important warning sign in preventing potential musculoskeletal disseases.