Career Outcomes of Dental Hygiene Baccalaureate Education: A Study of Graduates' Professional Opportunities, Further Education, and Job Satisfaction.

Abstract

There is a paucity of studies on Canadian baccalaureate dental hygienists. As discussions about the entry-level education required in dental hygiene continue on national and international platforms, examining outcomes of earning a dental hygiene baccalaureate degree is imperative. The aim of this study was to investigate the professional practice behaviors and career outcomes of graduates of the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada, Bachelor of Dental Science in Dental Hygiene (BDSc) degree program. UBC dental hygiene entry-to-practice (ETP) and degree-completion graduates from 1994 to 2016 were invited to participate in an online survey with closed- and open-ended questions about practice behaviors and outcomes after earning the BDSc degree. Of the 365 BDSc alumni who received the email invitation, 116 responded, for a 32% response rate. The results showed that 45% of respondents worked outside of the traditional private dental practice setting, specifically in education (23%), administration (9%), public health (8%), and research (5%). Of the 77 degree-completion respondents, 75% reported that the BDSc degree had expanded their career opportunities. A greater proportion of degree-completion respondents practiced outside of the clinical setting (p<0.01) and had earned a graduate degree (p=0.04) compared with ETP respondents. Over 25% of total respondents had pursued graduate education. In comparison to results from the 2015 Canadian Dental Hygienists Association job market and employment survey, a significantly greater proportion of BDSc graduates practiced collaboratively with non-dental professionals (2.7 vs. 0.8, p<0.001), earned more than $80,000 annually (47% vs. 23%, p<0.001), and received more employment benefits (4.0 vs. 3.5, p<0.001). These results highlight the positive impact of baccalaureate education on dental hygiene practice behaviors and career outcomes.