NEWBERG, Oregon, Aug. 11, 2015 -- Poor posture is a major contributor to shortened dental careers, with one out of four dentists becoming disabled at some point before retirement.1 In collaboration with dental teams, A-dec has designed two new products to help combat these statistics, and encourage proper posture and positioning all day long: A-dec 500 stools, and a new lever-style foot control.
The new feature-rich A-dec 500 stools provide pressure relief support via a dynamic seat assembly that enables good blood flow to the legs, while setting up the lower lumbar for a proper, healthy torso posture. Both the doctor's and assistant's stools feature a dynamic seat designed on a suspension frame, which flexes and conforms to the body's every move. The middle layer of the seat structure is engineered with four individual performance zones for tailored comfort and support. To further customize the stools, easy-to-access paddles are micro-adjustable for each user and task, allowing practitioners to remain in an ergonomically healthy posture throughout the day. "Overall, I believe these new stools can help minimize the discomfort and pain of a very demanding profession," says Greg Watson, Senior Product Manager. "Dentists use their stool all day, every day. It needs to perform great."
Nine patents are pending on the unique A-dec 500 stool design.
In keeping with the commitment to continually deliver ultimate performance and comfort, A-dec is also introducing a new lever foot control, engineered specifically for improved electric motor control. "Current disc foot controls were designed years before electric handpieces," says Sam Zemke, Senior Product Manager. "Unlike traditional disc foot controls, the new A-dec lever foot control allows precise speed modulation of both electric and pneumatic handpieces."
The lever style allows the operator to switch between cutting wet or dry, without looking away from the oral cavity. Ergonomically, the lever design allows more operator weight transfer from seat to feet, enabling an "athletic stance" and "S" curvature of the spine. Once the desired handpiece speed is reached, the operator can rest the foot flat on the floor and continue to work in a more relaxed state. "There is no stress on the leg or foot to maintain a constant speed or even vary the speed a little," says Zemke. "Think of it as cruise control. Once you have determined the desired speed, you can relax your foot. You still have complete functionality, but can drive in a more comfortable state. The lever foot control offers this same type of benefit."
For more information, contact A-dec.News@a-dec.com or call 1-800-547-1883 ext. 4042.
Reference
1. ADA® Members Insurance Plans, accessed April 29, 2015 https://www.insurance.ada.org/ada-insurance-plans/disability-insurance.aspx"Odds of disability determined by Great-West Life in 2013 after studying years of disability claims submitted by insured ADA members."
