Background: This study was conducted to assess the postural awareness of dental students in A Private Dental Teaching Institution in Kanpur City, India. Materials and Methods: A previously developed questionnaire was used for data collection in the study. The questionnaire was prepared by observing the positions of students working in the clinics and the mistakes they make with regard to their postures. The questionnaires were distributed among the dental students who were present and reported to work in the clinics. Levels of postural awareness and the relationship between postural awareness and the degree of musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) among the students was evaluated. This study was carried out in Rama Dental college, Hospital & Research Centre, Kanpur, India. Statistical Analysis: Categorical variables were compared using Chi‑square test. P values of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 184 dental students from the age group of 20–25 years were included in the survey, of which 144 dentists responded (83%). When their postural awareness was evaluated, results showed that 89% of the students had poor‑to‑medium levels of postural awareness. The relation between postural awareness and prevalence of MSDs indicated that 75% of the students with poor awareness, 49% of the students with average awareness, and 40% of the students with good awareness have MSDs. The results were statistically significant (0.002127, which is <0.005) stating that better awareness about proper postures while working helps to minimize the risk of MSDs. Conclusion: Evaluation of levels of postural awareness showed that 21% of the students had poor postural awareness, 67% had average awareness, and 11% had good postural awareness. The analysis of results showed that those students with low‑to‑average postural awareness had significantly greater prevalence of MSDs.

This study was conducted to assess the postural awareness of dental students in A Private Dental Teaching Institution in Kanpur City, India.