In recent years the British Dental Journal published a study on the effects of dentistry on the human body and the different statistics related to early retirement in the field, as well as the most common reasons for this early retirement. A questionnaire was designed to determine the effects of illness and ill health retirement (IHR) on the lives of the group of dentists it was given to. This questionnaire was distributed to 207 dentists who were known to have retired because of ill health but were not suffering from serious, debilitating or life-threatening illnesses. A total of 189 questionnaires were returned. The mean age at retirement of respondents was 51.5 years, with a range of 31 to 62 years. Of the respondents, 90% selected general dental practitioner as their last job title.

The most common cause of IHR was musculoskeletal disorders at 55%.

In the Dental field, in the Ergonomics Industry in particular, it's common knowledge that the statistics show that over 1/3rd of dentists will have to retire early due to back, shoulder, neck, or arm problems. Anyone who has done dentistry can attest that the work is not for the faint of heart in terms of putting your body in less than ideal positions throughout the day. Thousands of dental and medical professionals are now understanding the importance of a good stool for your work environment. The average dentist sits for more than 6 hours per day. The average office staff member can sit up to 7 or 8 hours per day.This is almost as long as we humans sleep each night. It's important that we take sitting seriously and ensure that we are doing everything we can to maintain proper posture and good support for the benefit of our future!