Dental Hygiene Students Research Articles

Mediating Effect of Career Identity in Relationship Between Grit and Career Preparation Behavior of Dental Hygiene Students

Mediating Effect of Career Identity in Relationship Between Grit and Career Preparation Behavior of Dental Hygiene Students

Impact on dental hygiene students’ adaptation of clinical clerkship

Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the degree and relationship between dental hygiene students’ Interpersonal skills, adaptation of university life, and adaptation of clinical clerkship. Methods: Data were collected from December 15, 2023 to 30, and the final analysis subjects were 180 people. Results: Factors affecting clinical clerkship adaptation of dental hygiene students were department satisfaction and university life adaptation, and the explanatory power was 25.7%. Conclusions: It is believed that a program to improve adaptation to college life with professors and seniors is necessary to help students become interested in and adapt to college life, and that clinical training is necessary for students preparing for practicum.

Artificial intelligence ethical awareness according to the core competency level among dental hygiene students

Objectives: This study investigated the ethical awareness regarding artificial intelligence (AI) among dental hygiene students based on core competency levels and proposed a competency-based educational approach to improve AI ethical awareness. Methods: Eighty-six dental hygiene students participated in the study and provided informed consent. The core competency survey tool included innovation, communication, relations, and services. The AI ​​ethical awareness survey tool was divided into eight categories, each with 24 questions: responsibility, stability and reliability, non-discrimination, transparency and explainability, people-centered service, employment, tolerance and limits, and robot rights. Results: The group with high core competency had higher levels of AI ethical awareness (p<0.05), particularly in terms of responsibility, transparency, and peoplecentered service. The level of AI ethical awareness was significantly correlated with the relationship competency and service competency (p<0.05). Conclusions: These results highlight the association between AI ethical awareness and core competencies. These results suggest that competency-based education in universities is critical for improving AI ethical awareness. Furthermore, we intend to use the findings as preliminary data to suggest a direction for competency-centered education to improve AI ethical awareness.

Utilising Text Mining to Determine Japanese Dental Hygiene Students' Perceptions of Dental Hygienists and Dentists.

This longitudinal text-mining study examines dental hygiene students' perceptions of dental hygienists and dentists at three different points in time during their training course. The null hypothesis of the study was that there would be no change in the dental hygiene students' perceptions of the dental hygienists and dentists over the course of 3 years. First-year dental hygiene students participated in this study beginning with the academic year 2020. The questionnaires were conducted in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Participants were asked to write their perceptions of dental hygienists and dentists on the questionnaire sheets, and a quantitative text-mining analysis was performed. Initially, 59 female students were assessed for enrollment in this study, and the overall participation rate was 88.1%. The first-year students' perceptions of dental hygienists were "assist" and "beside" the dentist based on the co-occurrence group, while in the second-year, "cleaning" and "tooth" emerged in this group, and a new group of "cordinal-listen-story" materialised. In the third year, these groups merged into one group centered on "kind." In the perceptions of dentists, the word "fear" was the most frequent before clinical training, while the frequency of the world "kind" increased after clinical training. The word "treat" was ranked third in the second year of curriculum and then first in the final year. The null hypothesis was rejected. It can be concluded that if interactions between dental hygiene and dental students are systematically incorporated from early undergraduate education, clinical practice will be more meaningful and lead to stronger intraprofessional collaboration in future clinical practice.

Impact of a Case-Based Sleep Apnoea Education on the Knowledge, Attitudes and Confidence of Dental Hygiene Students-A Multicentre Intervention Study.

This pilot study aimed to explore knowledge, attitudes and confidence levels of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) before and after case-based education among dental hygiene students. Moreover, to give an international perspective, this study included students from the US and Scandinavia. A longitudinal multicentre study assessed dental hygiene students' OSA knowledge, attitudes and confidence through a case-based education model. Students from six dental hygiene programmes in the US, Norway and Sweden participated from 2021 to 2022. The intervention group (N = 89) received preview material, live synchronous OSA lecture, case-based screening of fictitious patients and clinical practice using the STOP-Bang screening tool. Controls (N = 70) followed the standard curriculum. The Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Knowledge and Attitudes (OSAKA) questionnaire, comprising 18 knowledge and five attitude/confidence questions, was used. Reliability was assessed and nonparametric tests determined OSAKA knowledge score differences among the baseline, 6 months and 12 months intervals. The intervention increased OSA knowledge with the largest increase in proportions of correct responses occurring between the baseline and 6 months and all single items showing a higher proportion of correct answers at 12 months compared to the baseline. Students' attitudes regarding the importance of OSAKA and confidence in managing patients increased from the baseline to both 6 months and 12 months. The case based educational intervention increased OSA knowledge and improved attitudes and confidence among dental hygiene students. The results also determined that the OSAKA questionnaire can be used in a setting with dental hygiene students to provide an overview of their knowledge, attitudes and confidence toward OSA. Current sleep medicine education in dental hygiene programmes is limited, suggesting the need for enhanced and sustained educational interventions to address this knowledge gap.

Dental and dental hygiene students' perceptions on intraprofessional education.

Interprofessional education and intraprofessional learning experiences are fundamental to becoming an efficient member of the healthcare team for dental and dental hygiene students. The purpose of this study is to determine the attitudes and perceptions of The Ohio State University's dental and dental hygiene students on intraprofessional education and collaboration. Dental and dental hygiene students at The Ohio State College of Dentistry were surveyed in this cross-sectional study about their readiness for intraprofessional learning. The questionnaire was modeled after a study conducted by Brame etal. which focused on assessing students' readiness for intraprofessional education and determining their perceptions towards the use of intraprofessional education. Two hundred and seventy students completed the questionnaire for a 61.3% response rate. Dental hygiene students agreed more to how incorporating shared learning would help to think more positively about other oral health care professionals (p=0.025) and would help students to become better oral health care team members (p=0.002). Dental students agreed more than dental hygiene students that the function of a dental hygienist is to provide support for dentists (p ≤ 0.001) and that they must acquire more knowledge than other oral health care students (p ≤ 0.001). Most students (93%) agreed that intraprofessional learning would help in becoming a more effective oral health care team member. Dental hygiene students feel more strongly than dental students about including intraprofessional education in their learning. However, all students were receptive to the idea of incorporating intraprofessional practices.

Analyzing the Educational Needs of Dental Hygiene Students Using the Borich Needs Assessment and Locus for Focus Models

Objective: This study aimed to develop a standard for a practice-based curriculum that reflects the needs of dental hygiene students’ clinical practice education and to provide basic data that can contribute to improving dental hygienists’ competence in clinical practice. Methods: A survey of 132 dental hygiene students from selected universities was conducted. The Borich Needs Assessment model and The Locus for Focus models were used to evaluate the students’ educational needs for clinical practice content. Results: The highest level of present educational needs was for ‘fluoride application,’ while the greatest requirement was for ‘preparing surgical dental treatment’. Using The Locus for Focus model, 33 items in the first quadrant were identified as common to the Borich Needs Assessment priorities. These items include ‘dental insurance claims’, ‘patient reception’, ‘dental materials counseling’, ‘making a temporary crown’, ‘setting a temporary crown’, ‘document management’ and ‘prepare of dental emergencies’. Conclusions: The analysis of the clinical practice needs of dental hygiene students identified the needs for practice-oriented education. These findings suggest that future curriculum revisions should reflect not only the needs of students, but also the perspectives of educators and clinical dental hygienists.

Study on the Attitudes toward Artificial Intelligence and Digital Literacy of Dental Hygiene Students

Study on the Attitudes toward Artificial Intelligence and Digital Literacy of Dental Hygiene Students

Who you are and who you want to be: a pilot study of dental hygiene students' professional identity formation

BackgroundDental hygienists play a crucial role in providing successful community-based healthcare for patients. They should perform expected roles to address various tasks, in response to changing social contexts and needs. The value created by the role of a dental hygienist closely relates to job satisfaction, which is formed through daily clinical experiences, and in the process of professional identity formation, learners must internalise a value system. This study examined how dental hygiene students developed their professional identities during their undergraduate education.MethodsThis study adopted a case study approach based on an interpretivist paradigm. Ten dental hygiene students in their final year were selected, and semi-structured interviews were conducted regarding changes in their views on dental hygienists and their identities as health professionals. The data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach to identify the components of their professional identities and the factors influencing identity formation.ResultsStudents pre-professional identities were transformed into inter-professional collaborators with a more patient-centric and generalist perspective. The following three aspects of professional identity were identified: their own roles in promoting oral and general health, broadening the perspectives on professional competencies of dental hygienists, and the context of inter-professional collaborative practice. Additionally, this study identified some key factors influencing their identity formation, namely role models, clinical experiences, health care system, and social relationships with others. Among these factors, role models and clinical experiences were the most influential.ConclusionsThis study suggests that recognition of professional roles during preclinical education, and collaborative opportunities in clinical education are necessary to promote professional identity formation. Such learning opportunities enable students to reflect on the kind of dental hygienist they want to become. Moreover, for the students to continuously pursue their profession with a sense of fulfilment, educators need to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges the students would encounter as they transition from their undergraduate degrees to employment. This understanding is essential for developing and supporting communities where dental hygienists connect, help, and learn from each other.

Question Formulation Skills Building Among Dental Hygiene Students

PURPOSE: Research Question: How much training do Dental Hygiene students require in order to use the question formulation rubric effectively: a brief 5-minute overview or a 25-minute training that includes a student peer assessment application exercise? METHODS: Randomized controlled trial. All pre-randomized 24 students took the question formulation pre-test on the first day of the course on January 22nd. As expected, there were no statistical differences between the Intervention or Control group pre-test scores. The instructors administered the post-test on February 19th after the Intervention group had received the training and rubric with the Control group only having received the rubric with a brief explanation. RESULTS: The investigators employed a paired t-test to analyze the pre- and post-test score differences for each student in the Intervention and Control groups. Surprisingly, the students' average post-test scores were 41.75 for the Control group and 43.67 for the Intervention group on a 70-point scale, which were not markedly different. Apparently, some contamination occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Additional analysis suggests that dental hygiene students benefit by experiencing extra instruction, with the cautionary caveats that this study was limited by some contamination and that it took place during the Covid-19 era.

Relationship Between Original Research Experiences and Evidence-Based Practice Among Undergraduate Dental Hygiene Students.

For the dental hygiene profession, a need exists to engage students in research experiences as undergraduate students to foster interest in research and improve the implementation of evidence-based practice. The purpose was to explore the relationships between original research experiences and evidence-based practice among undergraduate dental hygiene students. This quantitative survey research study of undergraduate dental hygiene students in the USA was conducted in 2021. Original research experience was measured using the Wessex Research Network (WReN) spider instrument and evidence-based practice was measured using the Knowledge, Attitudes, Access and Confidence Evaluation (KACE) instrument. Invitation e-mails were sent to the directors of US entry-level dental hygiene programs to forward the survey e-mail message to students in the last semester of their dental hygiene programs. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. A total of 128 responses were analysed. The foundational knowledge domain of research experience was found to be a significant predictor of evidence-based practice and the mediators of evidence-based knowledge, evidence-based attitudes, evidence-based access and evidence-based confidence. Research experience was found to be a significant predictor of Evidence-Based Practice. Engaging undergraduate dental hygiene students in research opportunities may prepare students for the clinical application of evidence-based practice and original research projects.

Relationship between digital literacy level and major satisfaction in dental hygiene students

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the digital literacy and major satisfaction levels of dental hygiene students and identify the interrelationships between them as well as the factors related to major satisfaction. Methods: An online survey was using a structured questionnaire was conducted with 223 dental hygiene students. Digital literacy and major satisfaction were measured using a 5-point Likert scale, and correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed. Results: The participants’ digital literacy averaged 3.87 points, and their major satisfaction averaged 3.82 points. The digital literacy factor related to major satisfaction was critical thinking skills (β=0.747, p<0.001). This indicates that the higher the critical thinking skills, the higher the major satisfaction. The explanatory power of the model was 63.7%. Conclusions: Critical thinking skills as a factor of digital literacy were found to influence dental hygiene students’ major satisfaction, suggesting that a curriculum that can increase critical thinking can improve major satisfaction.

Effect of digital competence on scan time and scan error in intraoral scanning

Objectives: This study aimed to test whether the digital competence of dental hygienists can affect their intraoral scanning potential in terms of scan time and error. Methods: Dental hygienists and dental hygiene students who had never used an intraoral scanner were surveyed to determine their digital competence. Individual data collected using an intraoral scanner was compared with reference data collected using a model scanner to identify scanning errors, and participants’ scanning times were measured. Results: A significant decrease in scanning time was observed as the overall level of digital competence increased. The increase in digital skills and digital knowledge led to a decrease in scanning time by 3.73 and 3.98 minutes, respectively. Conclusions: This study found that digital competence was associated with reduced scan times, but less so with scan errors. This may be due to recent advances in scanning software, and future studies may need to develop a digital competence assessment tool that is more appropriate for the dental field.

A cross-sectional examination of the relationship between learning environment and anxiety among dental hygiene students.

This study's purpose was to determine if the learning environment impacts student anxiety in a dental hygiene program by evaluating the two main learning environments: the dental clinic and the traditional classroom. This study also examined educational tasks and their association with anxiety in each learning environment. A web-based survey was conducted using a convenience sample of dental hygiene students enrolled in a two or four yearCODA-accredited dental hygiene program in the United States. The Beck Anxiety Inventory was used to determine each participant's anxiety levels in both learning environments. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, correlation, and an analysis of variance. According to the Beck Anxiety Inventory scoring, dental hygiene students experience a moderate level of anxiety when learning in the dental clinic and a low level of anxiety when learning in the classroom. Nervousness was the most reported anxiety symptom in both the dental clinic and the traditional classroom. Test results from the Spearman correlation show that all dental clinic and classroom educational tasks have a significant correlation (p<0.01) to a student's anxiety level. Anxiety reported by students did not statistically differ by the year in which they were in the dental hygiene program. Findings suggest anxiety does exist at a moderate level in dental hygiene students. The dental clinic learning environment is associated with greater anxiety among dental hygiene students. Results from this study will be beneficial in understanding how to facilitate student success in a dental hygiene program.

Associations between stress, perfectionism, and imposter phenomenon among dental hygiene students.

Imposter phenomenon (IP) depicts the feeling of being a fraud. Stress and perfection are associated with IP, impairing professional and academic performance and negatively impacting mental health. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of IP and perfectionism in dental hygiene students and the relationship with stress. This study used cross-sectional survey research with a nonprobability sampling of dental hygiene students (n=258). The study used three validated instruments: the Imposter Profile (IPP30) with six subscales, the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale Brief with two subscales, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS10). Descriptive, correlation, and linear regression were used for analysis. The completion rate was 74.8% (n=193). Linear regression analysis found the competence doubt (CD) subscale of the Imposter-Profile and perfectionistic striving (PS) were the only statistically significant predictors of stress (F=10.01, p<.001, R2=.16). CD (b=0.36, p<0.001) was twice as strong as PS (b=0.15, p<0.05) in predicting stress in dental hygiene students. In this sample of dental hygiene students, the doubt about competence aspect of imposter phenomenon increased stress more than the striving for perfectionism. Faculty may minimize stress and support students by identifying the feelings associated with imposter phenomenon and highlighting student achievements to build confidence and feelings of self-efficacy.

Comparison of ‘Complete Anatomy’ (CA) to conventional methods for teaching laryngeal anatomy to first-year dental and dental hygiene students in Ireland

BackgroundDigital 3D visualisation tools have been increasingly used to supplement anatomy teaching with positive results reported in knowledge acquisition, 3D spatial understanding, and active student engagement. Despite their well-documented benefits, evidence of their learning effect on head and neck anatomy is limited. MethodsThis cross-over design study aimed to compare using Complete Anatomy (CA) and conventional methods (prosections and plastic models) to learn laryngeal anatomy. Fifty-four first-year dental and dental hygiene students were randomly assigned to a CA and a conventional group. Pre- and post-tests were used to compare groups' knowledge gains, and a feedback questionnaire was used to compare students' perceptions towards CA. ResultsBoth groups improved significantly in the post-test compared to the pre-test (Cohen's d ≥ 0.8). The conventional group significantly outperformed their counterparts in total (Cohen's d = 0.57) and written questions (Cohen's d = 0.9). However, both groups performed equally in the identification questions. Question-based analysis shows that the CA group performed significantly better in the identification questions than in the written questions (Cohen's d = 0.51). Nearly half the students perceived the CA application as easy to use, and the same proportion believed CA assisted their learning of laryngeal anatomy. ConclusionThis study provides further evidence of the effectiveness of CA in knowledge gain and anatomical recognition and supports its use as supplementary to anatomy education in general and head and neck anatomy in particular.

In-person to virtual interprofessional education: Teamwork attitudes and skills among dental and dental hygiene students.

The interruption to clinical professions' instruction due to closures from the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic posed a significant hurdle to clinical education and presented a necessity to shift how instruction was delivered to resume educational activities. This study sought to answer the research question: did the transition from in-person to virtual instruction for interprofessional education (IPE) have an impact on students' perceptions of team attitudes and skills to learn and work in interprofessional groups? All participating first-year dental and second-year dental hygiene students enrolled in the campus-wide IPE course were invited to complete the Team Skills Scale (TSS) assessment before and after the course for two academic years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. Paired t-tests were utilized to assess the change in student attitudes and skills from pre- to post-course assessment, and t-tests were used to assess mean differences between student cohorts 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. Within the student cohort 2019-2020 students reported significant improvement in all TSS items. Within the student cohort, 2020-2021 students reported significant improvement in all but three TSS items. There were only significant differences in mean values for student reported improvement in attitudes and skills for two TSS items between the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 cohorts. Dental and dental hygiene students report significant improvement in team attitudes and skills after participation in a campus-wide IPE course. The mode of administration of the course, in-person or virtual, did not have a significant impact on student-reported improvements.

치위생(학)과 학생들의 자아존중감과 자기주도학습 능력, 임상실습 소속감이 임상실습 만족도에 미치는 영향

Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the impact of several factors on dental hygiene students’ satisfaction with clinical practice. Methods: This study conducted via an online survey of 138 dental hygiene students from Gangwon, Gyeongnam, and Busan, South Korea, from October 31 to December 15, 2023. Results: The higher the self-esteem, the higher the self-directed learning ability, and the higher the self-directed learning ability, the higher the sense of belonging in clinical practice. The higher the sense of belonging in clinical practice, the higher the satisfaction with clinical practice. Factors influencing clinical practice satisfaction were found to be self-esteem and a sense of belonging to clinical practice. Conclusions: To increase satisfaction with practice, educational programs that improve self-esteem, increase self-directed learning opportunities, and cultivate a sense of belonging in clinical practice should be developed and utilized.

Mental Health According to DISC Behavioral Types in Dental Hygiene Students

Mental Health According to DISC Behavioral Types in Dental Hygiene Students

치위생과 학생들의 현장임상실습만족도에 영향을 미치는 요인

Objectives: This study analyzed the factors influencing satisfaction with clinical practice among dental hygiene students. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted from September 11 to September 22, 2023. Data were analyzed using descriptive analyses, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression with the SPSS 20.0 program. Results: Factors influencing clinical practice satisfaction were major satisfaction, clinical practice stress, interpersonal relationships, critical thinking tendencies, and communication skills. Conclusions: It is necessary to establish effective strategies to increase critical thinking tendencies and interpersonal skills, and to prepare teaching and learning methods to improve the major satisfaction and communication skills of dental hygiene students.