Dental Hygiene Schools Research Articles

The effects of dental hygiene students’ adult attachment, self-respect, and sociable support on their interpersonal competence

Objectives: This study sought to identify dental hygiene students’ adult attachment, interpersonal competence, self-respect, and sociable support, and to identify factors that affect interpersonal competence. Method: A self-administered survey was conducted on 180 students attending dental hygiene schools nationwide from 14 February to 30 May, 2023. Descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVAs, Pearson correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple linear regression analys were used, as determined by the SPSS 26.0 program. Results: Dental hygiene students’ interpersonal competence measured 3.61 points, adult attachment measured 3.44 points, self-respect measured 3.44 points, and sociable support measured 4.00 points. In terms of general characteristics, significant differences were found in satisfaction with college life and club membership. Interpersonal competence was positively correlated with adult attachment, self-respect, and sociable support. The factor that had the greatest impact on interpersonal competence of dental hygiene students was sociable support, with an explanatory power of 37.3%. Conclusions: In order to improve the sociable support for dental hygiene students, a social activity support network within and outside of school is needed.

Dental hygiene and dental students’ motivations for future work: a cross-sectional study of first-year students at a dental hygiene school and a dental school in Japan

BackgroundIt is important to understand the career motivations and perceptions of students who intend to become dental health professionals. Both dental and dental hygiene students may have different opinions about the profession and future work prospects. To our knowledge, no study has compared the career motivations and career perceptions of Japanese dental and dental hygiene students after admission to dental or dental hygiene school. This cross-sectional study examined the motivations of dental and dental hygiene students for their future career perceptions. MethodsFirst-year students of dental and dental hygiene schools in the academic years 2021 and 2022 participated in the study. Group 1 comprised 104 female dental hygiene students, Group 2−1 comprised 55 female dental students, and Group 2–2 comprised 61 male dental students. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted on opinions of the work and prospects of future work with four-point Likert scales ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree,” according to the items.ResultsDental hygiene students consider that they would like to work as professionals and would also like to earn efficiently. Specifically, female dental students prioritized contributing to society by working long-term in a fulfilling environment rather than earning an income, whereas male dental students would like to work as a professional while also effectively earning income.ConclusionsSmall but significant differences were found in opinions of the dental hygienist/dentist profession in terms of attractiveness and credibility. Small but significant differences were found for income and working hours when considering future job prospects. The results of this study revealed differences in the first year students between dental and dental hygiene school in their attitudes toward career motivation and prospects for future work.

Implementing and aligning health equity across the dental and dental hygiene school curricula.

Implementing and aligning health equity across the dental and dental hygiene school curricula.

Oral health for baby boomers: Past, present, and future.

This paper reviews the oral health services which were available for early (1945-1955) and late (1956-1964) baby boomers, as well as predicts their future oral healthcare needs. The knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes of the parents of the baby boomers toward dental hygiene and oral healthcare, are reviewed. The introduction of dental health screenings occurred from 1910 to early 1970s, the creation of the first dental hygiene school and the introduction of water fluoridation influenced oral healthcare. Technology introduced in the dental offices in the 1960s included the high-speed handpiece, followed by intraoral suction in 1979. Baby boomers are keeping their teeth at higher rates than preceding generations due to improved prevention and advances in the treatment of periodontal disease, and overall lower rates of smoking in older adults, when compared to younger adults. However, access to dental care remains an issue for many. Advances in prevention and treatment of periodontal disease, early detection of root caries, new restorative techniques, and improved technologies to replace teeth are also discussed. Early detection of periodontal disease, oral, and oropharyngeal cancer, risk factors for tooth loss and untreated caries are needed to improve the oral health for baby boomers. Access to oral healthcare is still an issue due to socio-economic disparities in America.

Broadening the Dental Hygiene Students’ Perspectives on the Oral Health Professionals: A Text Mining Analysis

Professional identity formation, an important component of education, is influenced by participation, social relationships, and culture in communities of practice. As a preliminary investigation of dental hygienists’ professional identity formation, this study examined changes in the dental hygiene students’ perceptions of oral health professionals over the three years of their undergraduate program. At a Japanese dental hygiene school, 40 students participated in surveys with open-ended questions about professional groups several times during their studies. The text data were analyzed through content analysis with text mining software. The themes that characterized their dental hygienist profession perceptions in their programs each year were identified as: “Supporters at the dental clinic”; “Engagement with interprofessional care” and “Improved problem-solving skills for clinical issues regarding the oral region”; and “Active contribution to general health” and “Recognition of the roles considering relationships” (in the first, second, and third years, respectively). The students acquired professional knowledge and recognized the significance and roles of oral health professionals in practice. They gained more learning experiences in their education, including clinical placements and interprofessional education. This study provides insight into curriculum development for professional identity formation in dental hygiene students.

A comparison of manikin and live patient‐based dental hygienist clinical licensing exam

The Central Regional Dental Testing Service in the United States administered its first manikin-based (M) dental hygiene licensing exam in 2020. The aim of this study was to compare the licensure exam results of dental hygiene students examined using manikins versus live patients. After obtaining the ethical approval, the de-identified exam scores of three different cohorts (2019, 2020, and 2021) were collected from the academic record database of Carrington College, Dental Hygiene School, San Jose, California. The exam scores of the students were grouped based on the exam format conducted: either M or patient-based (P). Mann-Whitney U test and two-tailed Fisher's exact were used to compare the scores of the groups. The scores of 108 dental hygiene graduates between 2019 and 2021 were analyzed. The study included 65 participants examined in group P and 43 participants in group M. There was no significant difference in the mean score between groups P and M (p=0.46) or in the passing rate between the two groups (p=0.52). However, a higher first-attempt passing rate was noted in the M group. Moreover, calculus removal scores were comparable between the two examination groups (p=0.18). The findings of this study supported the comparability of both manikin and live P exam outcomes. Therefore, the use of M exams may be considered for future examinations. Further studies are needed in other settings to confirm the efficacy of M exams in evaluating the students' clinical performance.

Relationship between career education experience among final-year dental hygiene students and their perspective towards work and profession: A nationwide survey in dental hygiene schools of Japan.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to clarify the relationship between the experience of receiving career education among final‐year dental hygiene students and their views regarding their work and profession, as part of research on the working style of dental hygienists.MethodsAn anonymous, self‐administered survey was sent by post to all the 162 dental hygienist schools in Japan with dental hygiene students in their final year in November 2019. The main questions were regarding student attributes, career aspirations, their perspective on work and profession and whether or not they received career education at a dental hygienist training school. Analysis was conducted by cross‐tabulation and logistic regression.ResultsCompleted questionnaires were sent to us by 150 schools (response rate 92.6%), with a response from 6,270 students. The students who had received career education had significantly higher awareness and plans for the profession and a positive attitude towards the work (p < 0.01). Following adjustment for age, sex, educational attainment, length of the course of study and timing of class the results shows that there was a significant relation between the experience of the career education with having future plans (odds ratio = 2.11, 95% confidence interval = 1.88–2.38, p < 0.01).ConclusionsIt was observed that the experience of receiving career education just before graduating from dental hygienist school was related to an increased positive attitude of the students towards their work and profession. Further long‐term investigations are necessary to evaluate the effects of career education among dental hygiene students and their attitude towards their profession.

Survey on the attitudes of dental hygiene students towards treating elderly patients.

This questionnaire-based survey assessed the attitudes of dental hygiene students towards treating elderly patients. The 14-item UCLA 14-item Geriatrics Attitudes Scale (GAS-14) questionnaire was used in this survey. A further set of nine questions evaluated the opinions of the students towards the existing geriatric curriculum in their respective institutions. Students from five dental hygiene schools from three countries (Switzerland, Belgium and Canada) participated in this survey. General demographic information from the participants was collected. Mean GAS-14 scores were calculated; ANOVA and Bonferroni's tests were used for statistical analyses (p<0.05). Three hundred eighty-five students (Switzerland: n=157, mean age=25.38±4.6years; Belgium: n=82, mean age=27.58±12.8years; Canada: n=146, mean age=25.95±12.3years) completed the survey for a response rate of 86.3%. The overall GAS-14 scores for Switzerland, Belgium and Canada were 3.61±0.42, 3.24±0.37 and 3.32±0.36, respectively. Switzerland scored significantly higher than Belgium and Canada (p<0.0001). Overall scores revealed a significant effect of progressive training (p=0.010). The GAS-14 score was influenced by the nationality of the participants (p<0.0001), but not influenced by sex, age, origin, religion, or marital and accommodation statuses. Majority of the students (75.8%) agreed that geriatric dentistry was an important part of their education. 77.4% agreed that they would like hands on experience in treating the elderly patient during their education. 85.1% of the participants considered mobile dental clinics as a good solution for the provision of dental care to the institutionalized elders. The general attitudes of DH students towards treating the elderly patients are on an acceptable level and improved as they progressed through their dental hygiene academic programmes.

Investigation Concerning Food and Nutrition Education for Health Promotion among Students of Dental Hygiene School

Investigation Concerning Food and Nutrition Education for Health Promotion among Students of Dental Hygiene School

Teaching of implant dentistry in dental hygiene and therapy schools in the UK and Ireland.

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the current status of implant teaching within dental hygiene and therapy schools in the UK and Ireland.Methods An online questionnaire relating to current and future possible trends in dental implantology education was developed and distributed to programme directors in each of the 23 dental hygiene and therapy schools in the UK and Ireland.Results All responding schools (response rate of 60%) provided implant training for their students. The teaching is mainly delivered in lecture-based or phantom head room settings. The majority of schools provided direct clinical experience in procedures relating to peri-implant maintenance, although in some schools it was stated that not every student was guaranteed to receive such experience. In 86% of schools, students gained experience in oral hygiene and scaling, while 71% and 64% provided experience of non-surgical management of patients with peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis, respectively. The main barrier to developing the implant programme was an insufficient number of suitable cases.Conclusions Although all responding schools provide implant training, the overall findings show that further development and improvement of implant teaching in dental hygiene and therapy schools within the UK and Ireland is required, particularly with respect to direct clinical experience. This will ensure that newly qualified dental hygienists and therapists are sufficiently prepared for managing implant patients in their clinical practice.

Dental communication training courses in dental hygiene schools in Korea

Dental communication training courses in dental hygiene schools in Korea

Developing a flexible core Dental Public Health curriculum for predoctoral dental and dental hygiene schools.

The curriculum for graduating dental and dental hygiene students must prepare them to contribute to the improvement or maintenance of health for individual patient's and the public's health. The objective is to describe the background for and the process used to develop a core Dental Public Health Curriculum for such students. The process used was to solicit and review existing dental public health curriculum in dental and dental hygiene schools; review curriculum for other health professionals; identify the themes needed to frame the curriculum; select usable materials and identify gaps in existing curricular materials; and develop appropriate curriculum materials that would embody the competencies developed for undergraduate dental and dental hygiene education. Twenty-three topics were identified as embodying the eight competencies. Based on these topics, six courses, Principles of Dental Public Health, Evidence-Based Dentistry, Ethics and Dental Public Health, Dental Public Health Policy and Advocacy, Oral Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, and Oral Health Literacy and Dental Public Health, were prepared. Each course includes syllabus, PowerPoint presentations, student assignments and activities, instructor guide, and classroom discussion points. Depending on the hours available in the existing curriculum at the dental or hygiene school, lecture presentations and take home assignments/discussions may be used independently or in combination with presentations from other courses. In addition, individual discussions and activities may be used to integrate dental public health materials into other courses. A flexible curriculum is available at the AAPHD website to enable the incorporation of DPH topics into the curriculum.

지역사회치위생학 현장(보건소)실습 실태

Objectives: This study was obtained to identify current education status of the community dental hygiene practice. Methods: It was designed cross section and self-reported on-line questionnaire(Survey monkey). It was performed probability sampling by targeting 82 dental hygiene schools(each one faculty member) in charge of community dental hygiene curriculum and 254 community health centers's community dental hygienists whom was working at oral health section. The response rate was 60% and 53%, respectively. The questionnaire consisted of time, duration, practice group, evaluation method, and practice contents including 63 learning objectives of dental hygiene. Results: Nearly half of these schools conduct such community field work practice in the spring semester of the junior year. This practice was mainly progressed based on average 4 students as one team per each one school for 7-8 hours a day during the period of more than 5 weeks(p<0.05). However, in case of both school and community health center, almost half of feedback after practice was not achieved and there was a difference in needs for practice education between schools and community health center. Conclusions: We should be considered that a sufficient consultation for the practice environment and its contents between schools and community health centers. It was considered that development of a standardized practice manual reflecting such requirement.

Psychosocial and Skill-based Differences between Dental and Dental Hygiene Students Regarding Secondary Prevention of Eating Disorders

Objective: A long-standing challenge in oral health education is preparing dental and dental hygiene students to address oral/systemic health issues with their patients, particularly regarding sensitive topics such as eating disorders. Oral health providers can play a key role in secondary prevention through early identification and referral of patients exhibiting signs of disordered eating behaviors. Dental and dental hygiene academic competencies include prevention counseling, health promotion, and interpersonal and communication skills, but there are differences across these groups in terms of whether they address oral signs of disordered eating behaviors with their patients. Methods: As part of a larger prospective study, the current study sought to determine the extent to which psychosocial and skill-based factors differ among dental and dental hygiene students in order to guide changes to academic training. A baseline Likert-type questionnaire was completed by dental (n=476) and dental hygiene (n=190) students from 27 oral health classes at 10 accredited dental and dental hygiene schools across the United States. Pretest data were analyzed to determine whether significant baseline differences exist between dental and dental hygiene students. Hierarchical linear models (HLM) were conducted using restricted maximum likelihood estimation. Results: No statistically significant differences between dental and dental hygiene students regarding knowledge of eating disorders and related oral manifestations. However, as compared with dental students, dental hygiene students were more likely to perceive they have a role in secondary prevention of eating disorders but reported less knowledge regarding appropriate procedures for secondary prevention and report higher self-efficacy regarding secondary prevention behaviors. Conclusion: Implications include the need for multi-disciplinary training for preparing dental and dental hygiene students to address sensitive oral/systemic health issues such as eating disorders with their patients.

Assessment of Tobacco Dependence Curricula in Italian Dental Hygiene Schools

The aim of this study was to assess the level of tobacco dependence education offered by Italian dental hygiene programs. A fifty-question survey was mailed to the thirty-one active public and private dental hygiene programs in Italy during the 2008-09 academic year. The survey assessed faculty confidence in teaching tobacco treatment, which courses contained tobacco dependence content, the number of minutes spent on specific content areas, and the level of clinical competence that dental hygiene graduates should be able to demonstrate. Surveys were returned by sixteen programs for a response rate of 52 percent. Respondents indicated tobacco dependence education was included in clinic or clinic seminar (56 percent), periodontics (44 percent), oral pathology (31 percent), and prevention (19 percent). All programs reported including the effects of tobacco on general and oral diseases in courses. However, more in-depth topics received less curriculum time; these included tobacco treatment strategies (63 percent) and discussion of cessation medications (31 percent). Interestingly, 62 percent of the respondents indicated they expected dental hygiene graduates to demonstrate a tobacco treatment competency level of a moderate intervention or higher (counseling, discussion of medications, follow-up) rather than a brief intervention in which patients are advised to quit then referred to a quitline. The results of this study indicated that Italian dental hygiene students are not currently receiving adequate instruction in tobacco treatment techniques nor are they being adequately assessed. This unique overview of Italian dental hygiene tobacco dependence education provides a basis for further discussion towards a national competency-based curriculum.

Comparison of clinical practice education in dental hygiene schools in eight countries

The profession of dental hygienist is one of the few in which the primary function of the practitioner is to prevent oral disease and to promote the well-being of patients. The aim of this study was to investigate clinical training conditions in schools of dental hygiene in eight countries (the USA, Canada, the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Thailand, South Korea and Japan). In 2006, we sent out a questionnaire in which we asked dental hygiene schools about how they educate dental hygiene students. The techniques taught to students in schools in Western industrialised nations, such as the USA, Canada, Denmark, the UK and Sweden, were mainly related to dental preventive measures and dental health guidance. By contrast, training schools in South Korea and Japan placed less emphasis on dental preventive measures and dental health guidance. Dental hygienists in Thailand are trained to perform local anaesthesia and to fill and extract deciduous teeth although the country does not have a specific qualification system. The contents of clinical training and education in schools of dental hygiene differ greatly among countries.

A pilot study: are dental hygienists in Texas ready for the elderly population explosion?

At the beginning of the 20th century, people 65 and older comprised 4.1% of the population. By the year 2030, it is estimated that people 65 and older, the 'Baby Boomer' generation, will comprise more than 20% of the population. This will have a profound effect on the practice of dentistry and on society as a whole. The purpose of this study was to determine whether dental hygienists in Texas felt prepared and willing to treat the elderly in alternative practice settings such as nursing homes. After institutional review board approval, a questionnaire was mailed to 500 hygienists. A 5% systematic sample of dental hygiene graduates was taken from four dental hygiene schools in Texas, United States of America (USA). Of these, 175 were returned for a 35% response rate. Questions asked were degree held, how prepared the participants felt to treat the special needs of the elderly, if participants were willing to work in alternative practice settings such as a nursing home and if they felt additional education was needed. Frequency distributions, correlations and chi square were used to analyse the data. Results revealed 86.5% of the respondents felt prepared to somewhat prepared to treat the special needs of the elderly based on education; equally, 86.5% felt more education was needed to better prepare them to treat the elderly. Over half of the respondents would not be willing to work in alternative practice settings such as nursing homes. The average respondents do not feel fully prepared to treat the elderly with special needs, and they think more education is needed to better prepare them to treat this important target population.

Attitudes of Italian dental and dental hygiene students toward tobacco‐use cessation

The aim of this study was to investigate the smoking habits of Italian dental and dental hygiene students and to assess their knowledge on the health effects of cigarette smoking and their attitudes toward tobacco-use cessation (TUC) in dental practice. Data was collected from 220 students attending the Dental and Dental Hygiene Schools (DS and DHS, respectively) at the University of Palermo (Italy). The percentage of smokers amongst DS and DHS students was similar (32.78% vs. 32.5%) with 67.77% of DS students and 77.5% of DHS agreeing that the damages to health caused by smoking were covered in their didactic course work. A high percentage of DS (63.33%) and DHS (67.5%) students reported the relationship between smoking and a number of associated health conditions. Both DS and DHS students showed poor knowledge of TUC interventions. Both DS and DHS students reported to be conscious of their own role as a counsellor, with DHS students feeling more comfortable in approaching counselling in clinical practice. Although DS and DHS students reported a positive attitude toward TUC interventions, almost half of the students had some concerns about the effectiveness of smoking cessation activities. The introduction of a comprehensive tobacco education curriculum in DS and DHS programs could further improve students' perceptions and attitudes and provide knowledge and clinical experience which would lead to the incorporation of TUC into subsequent professional practice.

Cross‐Cultural Adaptability of Texas Dental Hygienists and Dental Hygiene Students: A Preliminary Study

This study sought to determine if statistically significant differences existed among and between licensed dental hygienists and first- and second-year dental hygiene students in Texas on a cross-cultural adaptability measure. The cross-cultural adaptability of licensed dental hygienists and of first- and second-year dental hygiene students attending five randomly selected dental hygiene schools in Texas was investigated. A sample of 289 individuals completed the fifty-item Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory (CCAI) and a brief demographic survey, resulting in 278 usable responses. The CCAI yields a total score and four individual subscale scores that describe a person's readiness to interact with people of different cultures. The results revealed no statistically significant differences among the licensed hygienists and students in the first and second years of study and CCAI scores. A statistically significant relationship (r=.148) was found between age and one of the four CCAI subscale scores: flexibility/openness. No other statistically significant relationships were found. The number of years to earn a degree, level of practice, ethnicity, and years employed may not play a significant role in enhancing cross-cultural adaptability. Further research needs to be conducted to determine differences and relationships between and among various dental hygiene groups and their cross-cultural adaptability performance.

Dental hygiene education in Nepal

This article provides information about the history, recent curriculum changes and the legal status of the dental hygiene education in Nepal. It also intends to show, how, even in a poor developing nation, the personal drive of a native Nepalese citizen with a vision and the proper connections can lead to the establishment of a new profession, until then unknown. Data were obtained from the founder of the first dental hygiene school in Nepal through qualitative interviews, and through personal visits to two Nepalese dental hygiene schools in Kathmandu and in Pokhara. Since 2006, the first author serves as curricular advisor, allowing him access and input to drafts of the development of current curricular changes. In 2000, the first dental hygiene course started in Kathmandu. Since then, dental hygiene education has been going through different stages of development and professionalization. In 2005, the programme was changed to 3 years in length in order for students to obtain an academic Certificate in Dental Hygiene. In 2006, the Nepalese Dental Hygienists Association was founded, resulting in greater recognition of the profession, especially by the powerful Nepalese Dental Association. Obscure rules and legislation results in eclectic specifications governing dental hygiene practice. Future challenges for the schools and the dental hygienists association are issues of quality insurance and scope of practice suitable for a developing country. Currently, Nepal is the only country worldwide with an almost equal gender distribution in the dental hygiene profession.