title: Work environment of dental hygienists.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to evaluate how musculoskeletal disorders and workplace psychosocial factors affect dental hygienists' work hours and productivity.
  
  
  METHODS
  We mailed a survey to dental hygienists in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, California.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Musculoskeletal pain caused 27% of hygienists to decrease work hours and 8.7% to change office locations. Hand/wrist pain caused the most missed workdays. Conversely, conflicts with the dentist caused 28.2% of dental hygienists to change jobs and 12.7% to decrease work hours. Conflicts with staff caused 17.1% to change office locations but only 7.0% to decrease work hours. This pattern was confirmed with multiple logistic regression analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Musculoskeletal and psychosocial factors affect dental hygienists differently: musculoskeletal discomfort is more likely to cause dental hygienists to decrease their working hours, whereas professional and social conflicts are more likely to lead to change in work location.
authors.affiliation: Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California at Los Angeles, 90024, USA.
authors.forename: Theodore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yee
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Harber
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000523:psychology; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires