Challenges of being left-handed in a right-handed world of clinical dentistry: a cross-sectional study.

backgroundDespite the global relevance of handedness influencing clinical performance, there is dearth of research that has explored the experiences of left-handed dental practitioners (LHDPs) within Pakistan. Very few studies have reported the challenges and difficulties that left-handed dental students and practitioners may face in our setting. The objective of this study was to assess the self-perceived ergonomic and clinical challenges encountered by LHDPs in dental institutes across Sindh, Pakistan.

methodsThis cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted from March - June 2025 in 17 public and private dental colleges of Sindh to evaluate clinical practices and self-reported challenges faced by left-handed dental students and practitioners. Data collection was carried out by a structured, self-administered questionnaire. The questions assessed the clinical experience and challenges faced by left-handed participants when practicing dentistry. The questionnaire also assessed institutional accommodation and ergonomic considerations in the clinical setting. The questionnaire was disseminated by a non-probability snowball sampling technique because of the limited number of LHDPs. Data was analyzed with SPSS v. 23.0.

resultsA total of 100 left-handed participants completed the survey. Mean age of the participants was 26.2 ± 5.9 years with 72 females and 28 males. Majority of the participants had 0–2 years (n = 70) of clinical experience. The most frequently adopted chair position while working on right-sided dental units was 1 o’clock (n = 37), and 12 o’clock (n = 30). More than half of the respondents (n = 51) identified the second quadrant as the most difficult to access when working on a right-handed dental unit. Seventy-three (73%) participants reported experiencing difficulties while handling various instruments during clinical procedures; this concern decreased significantly with increase in clinical experience (p = 0.007). As clinical experience increased, perception of quality of work being diminished due to handedness also decreased (p = 0.042). A significantly greater number of participants with more clinical experience used their non-dominant hand compared to the less experienced ones (p = 0.002). Sixty participants (60%) believed they were at a higher risk of developing musculoskeletal problems due to the right-sided configuration of dental chairs.

conclusionsThis study highlights significant challenges faced by left-handed dental practitioners practicing in the public and private dental colleges of Pakistan. LHDPs perceive that they are inadequately equipped, lack guidance and have an unfavorable ergonomic clinical environment. To improve practice of LHPDs, availability of left-handed dental units and instruments and integrating left-handed clinical guidance in the undergraduate curriculum may help improve their clinical performance and address the global inequalities that they face. These findings are however, based on self-reported perceptions, so it may limit the generalizability of the study.