Abstract
Prolonged static postures during dental procedures, such as implant surgeries, often lead to significant physical fatigue, especially in the lumbar region of dental professionals. To address this issue, a dental operating stool (OS) with an adjustable seat tilt was developed and evaluated. This study aimed to identify the optimal seat tilt angle to reduce physical strain and improve work efficiency. Experiments were conducted at four seat tilt angles: 0°, 3°, 5°, and 7°. Physical fatigue and postural stability data were collected. Results indicated that a 3° tilt significantly reduced physical strain, while a 5° tilt was preferred in terms of usability and task visibility. These findings highlight the importance of seat tilt in minimising fatigue and enhancing operational efficiency. A 3° tilt is recommended for general fatigue reduction, whereas a 5° tilt is optimal for tasks requiring better visibility and precision during dental procedures.
Keywords
Dental operating stool (OS); Seat tilt angle; Physical strain
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.607
Citation
Sato, R., Kawakami, Y.,and Tanaka, M.(2025) Relationship Between Seat Inclination Angles and Physical Strain When Using Sloped Stools, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.607
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 9 - Healthcare Design
Relationship Between Seat Inclination Angles and Physical Strain When Using Sloped Stools
Prolonged static postures during dental procedures, such as implant surgeries, often lead to significant physical fatigue, especially in the lumbar region of dental professionals. To address this issue, a dental operating stool (OS) with an adjustable seat tilt was developed and evaluated. This study aimed to identify the optimal seat tilt angle to reduce physical strain and improve work efficiency. Experiments were conducted at four seat tilt angles: 0°, 3°, 5°, and 7°. Physical fatigue and postural stability data were collected. Results indicated that a 3° tilt significantly reduced physical strain, while a 5° tilt was preferred in terms of usability and task visibility. These findings highlight the importance of seat tilt in minimising fatigue and enhancing operational efficiency. A 3° tilt is recommended for general fatigue reduction, whereas a 5° tilt is optimal for tasks requiring better visibility and precision during dental procedures.