Síndrome del túnel carpiano en especialistas en periodoncia de Bucaramanga y su área metropolitana.

Abstract

Introduction: Dentists are susceptible to deterioration of the skeletal muscle system of the upper extremities. The use of vibratory instruments and excessive force affects the carpal tunnel. The literature shows that dentists have a higher prevalence of STC; with reported data ranging from 8.7% to 15.8%. Among dental specialties, the reported prevalence varies as well; rehabilitation 14.9%, surgery 15.8% endodontics 9.9%, periodontics 12%, orthodontics 5.2%, pediatric dentistry 8.7%. Objective: To establish the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome in periodontics specialists from Bucaramanga and its metropolitan area. Materials and methods: The type of study used was observational, cross-sectional analytical with 40 participants. Sociodemographic variables such as sex, age, dominant hand, active pauses and systemic disease were observed. Likewise, clinical tests were used for the Boston diagnosis and questionnaire, the ethical principles of the participants and autonomy were respected with the signing of the informed consent. Results: The prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome was 27.8%. On the Boston questionnaire, 7.5% of participants reported very severe numbness with tingling at night. On the functional scale, participants reported moderate 15% difficulty opening a jar and 10% difficulty loading shopping bags. No relationship was found between hours of use of scaler and curettes with STC cases. Conclusions: The identified prevalence was 27.8%; The hours of use of the dental scaler showed no relationship with cases of carpal tunnel syndrome.