Are you stiff, with sore shoulders, lower back, hips, and neck at the end of the day? Anyone who spends a lot of time sitting down for work, especially if their job requires hours of physical upper body motion, strength, and strain, knows how it feels to be in pain at the end of the day—if not at the end of every task or appointment, if you’re a dentist or hygienist. Hence the evolution of dental operatory seating.
There are many options today that have been designed with ergonomics, long-term comfort, and operator safety in mind. Choices range from seats without backs or armrests, to armrests that swivel, seats that are designed to stay cool, saddle style seats, bicycle seat styles, backs that look like butterfly wings that move with you, chairs that increase range of motion and help develop core strength—and the list goes on.
So do the clichés: dental chairs are not all created equal, one size does not fit all, nothing lasts forever, don’t judge a seat by its cover. It can be a bit confusing for dental practice owners and office managers, trying to figure out what’s best for every individual practitioner, as well as how to meet what might be their changing ergonomic needs over time. A visit to our dental stool category could help. Explore chair designs and benefits from among more than 20 manufacturers. It’s easy to compare them side-by-side, read user reviews, view videos and catalogs, and follow links to the manufacturer’s websites for more details.