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Dental Chair Components

Correct positioning of a comfortable and easily adjustable dental chair improves the experience for the dentist and his patients, as well as saving dental workers from musculoskeletal system injuries. R. Pollack's report on dental office ergonomics says dentists have a tendency to, "adapt awkward and illogical physical postures to access the oral cavity." Advances in dental chair components permit hands-free adjustments by dentists.

  1. Manual Chair Control Switches

    • To control the height and angle of the dental chair, use the doctor's (or assistant's) hand control switches. These dual sets of controls (three buttons or more) are located in an area where the patient cannot accidentally activate them. The doctor and assistant switches are usually parallel to each other, on either side of the chair back. These switches control the seat tilt, seat height, the rotation of the chair on the base, lowering and raising of the chair back and turn on the automatic operation function, which adjusts the chair to a preset position. Where several doctors use the same facilities, presets for the correct height and angle for each practitioner saves time spent adjusting each setting individually.

    Foot Chair Control Switches

    • Foot operated controls are located on the rear of the floor plate (the heavy round disk which anchors the chair to the floor). They are operated by the doctor or assistant and are accessible from either side of the chair. Use this control to raise and lower the chair height and rotate the chair through 360 degrees, to face in any direction. Keep in mind the effect of the assistant performing the same adjustment while standing on the left-hand side of the chair will have the reverse effect of the doctor performing the same adjustment while positioned at the right-hand side of the chair.

    Chair Motors

    • The four motors control adjustments to the chair via the switches. The base motor at the back of the floor pedestal controls rotation of the chair by a manual foot switch. A base lift motor raises and lowers the chair height. The third motor is located at the front of the chair, under the seat, to angle the chair up or down. One last motor, the back motor (located in the rear of the chair cradle assembly), reclines or raises the back of the chair. Correct use of the chair controls permit a dental worker to achieve a healthy and safe stance. R. Pollack describes it as finding, "a position that allows them to achieve optimum access, visibility, comfort and control at all times."

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