The Patient Chair: It Can - and Should - Multitask

The Patient Chair: It Can - and Should - Multitask

Interchangeable headrests guarantee patient, operator comfort for all situations.

A long-time loyal patient asks if you can possibly squeeze in her elderly mother who's visiting from Italy and complaining of a "bad toothache". Early the next morning they arrive, as arranged, before the first scheduled patient.

The woman is in obvious pain, and incidentally, probably stood about 4'10" in her youth - even shorter as a typical consequence of aging and bone loss. How do you make her comfortable AND give you enough access in your traditional dental chair?

Simple—because the chairs in your practice accommodate interchangeable headrests. Your assistant quickly removes the traditional headrest, which immediately shortens the chair back. She then attaches a horseshoe-type headrest with a strap at just the right position. You now have ideal access and the patient is comfortable and secure, without the fear of sliding down.

Removable, interchangeable headrests are an easy economical way to accommodate a variety of patient and positioning needs that you'll encounter regularly. So when selecting a patient chair, look for one that accommodates them. Both the J/V Generation® and Simplicity chairs economically accommodate interchangeable headrests, which include:

  • Double Articulating
  • Magnetic Neck Support
  • Non-Magnetic Horseshoe Cushion
  • Magnetic Catcher’s Mitt
  • Dual Durometer

"When selecting a patient chair, most dentists think of patient comfort first," said physical therapist and dental ergonomics expert Tim Caruso. "That's a mistake. Most importantly, the operator needs to access the oral cavity. The best patient chair allows the operator to access the oral cavity without assuming a really awkward position."

 

"A magnetic headrest allows great flexibility in patient positioning, including sidebending of the patient’s head for viewing difficult surfaces," noted physical therapist and dental ergonomics consultant Bethany Valachi."Double articulating headrests, when angled up into the patient’s occiput, can greatly aid in viewing the upper arch, as well as relaxing the patient’s neck musculature."

Mary Govoni, RDA, RDH, and founder of dental consultants Clinical Dynamics, agrees. "Doctors-- when selecting a chair, do NOT evaluate it by sitting in it as the patient would!," Govoni cautioned. "Evaluate it as though you are actually providing treatment to a patient. Let someone else sit in it while you lean and bend and reach as you normally would."

So with these experts recommendations in minds, here are just a few examples of how these interchangeable head support options would come in handy…..:

Situation:Your chair back is long
Using a catcher's mitt style headrest creates even additional length, restricting access to the oral cavity.
Solution:Use an adjustable headrest, such as Double Articulating. This enables you . to make adjustments to the headrest and thus get closer to the patient for better access to oral cavity.

Situation: Patient has neck and/or back pain
These patients would benefit from additional neck support

Solution: Use the Magnetic Neck Support—a convenient, comfortable alternative to a rolled towel.

Situation:Patient has a pacemaker

A magnetic headrest can respond to a patient with a pacemaker
Solution: Use an adjustable headrest, such as a Double Articulating, or a non-magnetic head rest, that will not interfere w/ the pacemaker.

Situation:Disabled patient uses a wheelchair

Solution: Instead of trying to get the patient into the chair, use a Double Articulating headrest flipped around to provide neck support behind the wheelchair.

Situation: Patient is a child or small adult Many conventional chair backs are too long to effectively and comfortably position smaller patients

Solution: Use the Non-Magnetic Horseshoe Cushion. After removing the traditional headrest to "shorten" the chair back, the Horseshoe Cushion can be easily and quickly attached with a strap.The oral cavity can be accessed without sliding the child back.

"Operator positioning is as important—if not more so—than patient comfort when configuring the dental chair,"said Valachi,"When considering patient chair ergonomics, desirable features should facilitate neutral posture of the operator's spine, shoulder, elbow, and wrist, maintain proper body mechanics, and limit excessive reaching of the operator. The most common problem I observe is operators experiencing difficulty gaining close proximity to the oral cavity while maintaining neutral posture. If the patient chair does not allow close operator positioning, the dentist is forced to either reach excessively forward with the entire arm or bend the trunk forward. Both place the operator at risk for injury."

The ability to create ideal patient positioning by choosing the right headrest for the situation addresses all of these challenges.

 

 

Mary Govoni sums up the bottom line. "The ability to customize the headrest on the patient chair is a critical factor in ergonomics for the clinical team," she says. "Because each patient is a different size and slightly different shape, the team needs to be able to accommodate these differences, without sacrificing visibility. If the patient chair has an articulating headrest or different shaped magnetic headrests, the clinical team can adjust the patient’s head position for optimal visibility, with less compromising of their own posture. In many cases, the clinical team makes adjustments in their posture, rather than change the patient’s head position. This practice puts them at risk for neck and upper back injuries. For the patient, the customization of the headrest provides them with maximum comfort and helps make them feel more secure during dental treatment."

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