Dental chairs have a significant impact on the patient's experience and the dentist's productivity. Without the proper dental chair, you can't perform optimally, and you potentially put your career at risk. However, what is the best dental chair? Well, think of the best dental chair in terms of practicality and ergonomics. Therefore, in this guide, we will help you understand what a dental chair for posture and productivity entails.
Keep Reminding Yourself Of Ergonomics
You can easily forget the proper positioning and posture when you are treating a patient. Regardless of how long the procedure takes, it's essential to keep reminding yourself of the following ergonomics:
Staying upright - Don't allow your spine or back to arch
Flat feet - Maintain your feet on a flat surface, ensuring your body weight is equally distributed throughout the buttocks and feet
Forward head positioning - Maintain the chin tucked when operating
Distance - Ensure you are close enough to the patient
Stool height - Adjust the size of your stool in a way that your thighs slant downwards
Grip - Handle your equipment securely but gently without excessive pressure
Wrists - Allow the wrists to rest in a neutral position without straining
Tips For Selecting Patient Chairs And Operator Stool
The design of a dental chair affects the experience of the patient and the productivity of the dentist. Without the proper knowledge of dental chairs, you might face challenges choosing the best one. The tips below will help you in selecting a dental chair for both the patient and the dentist.
The Patient Chair
The dental patient chair impacts the dentist's positioning, posture, and productivity. The tips you will need when selecting a dental patient chair for posture and productivity include:
Headrests - Thin and small headrests improve the legroom, enhancing patient accessibility.
Dental chairs with magnetic and double-articulating headrests have better patient positioning flexibility.
Adjustability - Adjustable headrests allow the dental chair to accommodate patients of different needs and sizes. Also, adjustable headrests enhance accessibility when treating children.
Upper backrest - A narrow upper backrest enhances the dentist's movement around the patient's head from the 9-11 o'clock position.
Low-profile or sling-style armrests - low-profile or sling-style armrests allow you to operate in the 8-10 o'clock position without the fixed-metal armrests obstructing your knees.
Height adjustment - A dental chair with an adjustable height will allow you to work in a neutral position without bending forward excessively.
Swivel - The dental chair should freely rotate to enhance access to the patient's head. This feature is vital when the room between the counter and the patient's headrest is minimal.
Base - When a dental chair base is near the patient's foot, it can hit the operator's stool pedestal, causing an obstruction.
Length - The dental chair should be at least 24 inches between the counter and the top of the headrest. This length and the traverse feature allow the chair to glide horizontally for easy movement into the 12 o'clock position.
The Delivery System
A poor dental stool design may force you to bend or lean forward excessively. This posture will impact your body mechanics, resulting in low back pains, shoulder joint pains, or movement dysfunction. Here are tips that will help you in selecting an operator stool:
Modular delivery system - With this design feature, the operator stool accommodates the clinical instruments in a sterilised arrangement, allowing you to pick up your equipment conveniently.
Body support - The body support in a dental stool should give you room to reach out for a prolonged time or extend your torso.
Material - As you will be spending many hours on the operator stool, it's essential to consider the stool's fabric. Cloth stools with minimal foam become soft quickly, compromising the correct sitting posture. The material should be firm and supportive but still feel comfortable.
Summary
The ergonomic features in dental stools and patient chairs are vital for the health and comfort of the patient and the productivity of the dentist. Investing in the right dental chair benefits your musculoskeletal health and extends your career. With the above tips, you can select the best patient chairs and operator stools without challenges.
If you are considering purchasing or upgrading to a new dental chair, MES Medical Equipment Services has been Australia’s leading provider of dental chairs and other medical equipment and equipment services since 1952.
We were originally established to provide electro-medical products to healthcare professionals across the country. Our products range from sterilisation, dental systems, dental imaging, electrosurgical equipment, medical consumables, dental lasers, and equipment service maintenance.
We sell only top of the line equipment and machines produced by the leading manufacturers in the world. Our integrity and standards are your guarantees!
If you are searching for the best dental chair supplier in Australia, then look no further than Medical Equipment Services Australia.
For all your medical and dental supply requirements, please call us today on 1300 342 013 or contact us through our website.
