Back pain prevention program: An evaluation after a 10-year implementation amongst dental students

Abstract

Background: Many studies show a higher prevalence of back pain for dentists and dental students than in the general population. This leads to a need to integrate an effective back pain prevention program (BPPP) into the student's curriculum. We have implemented such a program for 10 years, and the objective was to evaluate its effectiveness. Material and Methods: Data from 102 dentists and students who benefited from the BPPP were collected. Back pain prevalence and its intensity (0–10 scale) regarding neck, upper back and lower back location were studied, as well as sex, age, implementation or not of elements of the BPPP into daily practice, and if so at what moment of the professional life. For identical items, answers were compared with those from a national survey conducted amongst French students and practitioners in 2018. Results: Amongst the BPPP beneficiaries, 60% were suffering from chronic back pain versus 77% in the previous national survey (p