I recently ran a poll on Instagram asking people's biggest ergonomic concern.
The response I saw more than anything else?
Patient Positioning.
Don't worry, I have solutions for you!
If you're anything like me, you love a nice, supportive cushion. But did you know that using patient cushions while providing dental care will help your patient be more comfortable and cooperative while enhancing your ergonomics and posture?
When discussing ergonomic patient positioning, it's all about controlling the occlusal planes.
We want the occlusal plane to be AT LEAST 10-20° behind the vertical plane for the maxillary arch. This looks like the patients chin tipped wayyyyyy up.
For the lower arch, we want the maxillary occlusal plane CLOSE TO OR IN FRONT of the vertical plane. This looks like having the patient nod their chin towards their chest.
Using cushions can help you achieve both.
I want to share a personal belief of mine... when we have patients who "can't lean back," there are some that absolutely can't. For others, they just don't want to.
For those who just don't want to, I believe this is fear-based. Not having their cervical spine supported while tipping back in the chair feels unsafe to the patient. However, if we slide a cushion behind their neck, it's almost like magic! They will lean back way further than you think.
In addition, when we start offering cushions to our patients, they feel pampered and taken care of. This leads them to be more cooperative when you need to lay them all the way back.
My cushion recommendations:
I also have full chair overlays, knee lifts, and lumbar cushions.
To learn how I use cushions to orient the occlusal planes and properly position my patients, check out my video-based course on patient positioning.
Taking care of ourselves is paramount when practicing dentistry, and using these cushions can help both you AND your patient feel better!
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