OBJECTIVES:

This study determined demographic characteristics, satisfaction with care, and likelihood of follow-up dentist visits for patients seen in office-based, independent, dental hygienist practices.

METHODS:

New patients were surveyed after their initial visits to independent hygienist practices to assess their demographic characteristics and satisfaction with care at both the beginning of practice operations and 18 months after the start of these practices. Follow-up surveys were sent to patients 12 and 24 months after their initial visits to the independently practicing dental hygienists to determine if patients had visited a dentist.

RESULTS:

Most respondents were white, female, had attended some college, and reported high family incomes. Ninety-eight percent of respondents were satisfied with their dental hygiene care. Follow-up questionnaires revealed that over 80 percent of respondents visited the dentist within 12 months of receiving dental hygiene care in independent settings. This level of follow-up care with dentists was found both for respondents who reported having a regular dentist at their initial visits with the hygienists and for those who reported not having a regular dentist.

CONCLUSIONS:

Independent practice by dental hygienists provided access to dental hygiene care and encouraged visits to the dentist.

This clinical trial aims to learn about the general oral hygiene status of children with special needs and test the effect of hygiene education on their oral and dental hygiene. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* What is the general oral hygiene status of children with special needs?
* Does brushing education and dietary guidance to parents improve oral and dental hygiene in children with special needs? Participants will receive a complete oral and dental examination. Following this examination parents/legal guardians will be educated about the maintenance of oral and dental hygiene and dietary guidance will be provided. Patients will be evaluated one year after the education

Purpose: Face-touching behavior has the potential for self-inoculation and transmission of the SARS-2 Coronavirus. The purpose of this study was to observe unconscious face-touching behaviors of dental hygiene and dental students in a non-clinical setting.Methods: Twenty minutes of archived proctoring videos of dental and dental hygiene students (n=87) while taking final examinations were watched for incidents of face-touching behavior. Data were analyzed for descriptive frequencies; independent sample t-tests were used to determine differences between dental and dental hygiene students and between males and females.Results: There was a significant difference in face touching behaviors between the student groups. Dental hygiene students (n=42) were observed 11.9 times (SD. 11.4) and dental students (n=45) were observed 8.9 times (SD, 7.9) touching the nose, mouth, and eyes (T-zone) (p=0.049). Differences in frequencies of touching the T-zone failed to reach significance between genders.Conclusion: Findings suggest both dental hygiene and dental students frequently touch their faces in non-clinical settings and need to be aware of this unconscious behavior. Given the significance of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to identify and quantify known risk factors that can be easily addressed to prevent/reduce infection transmission.

PURPOSE:

This study investigated Iowa dental hygienists' perceptions about education, practice, and licensure regarding issues related to self-regulation. Furthermore, it was the purpose of the study to determine if these perceptions were statistically related to membership in the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA).

METHODS:

In October 1992, 150 Iowa dental hygienists were randomly selected to participate in a mail survey. The questionnaire included items on self-regulation, licensure, practice, supervision, delivery systems, and independent practice. Responses were analyzed by frequency distributions and the chi-square statistic.

RESULTS:

Ninety responses were received, representing 80% of the 112 subjects with valid Iowa addresses, but only 60% of the selected sample. Of the 36 variables analyzed, only two were statistically significantly different by ADHA membership. Thus, data were combined and reported for all respondents. The majority of Iowa dental hygienists (71.6%) believed dental hygiene was pursuing self-regulation to improve quality of care. They wanted more dental hygiene representation on licensure boards and almost 50% wanted separate boards. The majority of respondents favored control of dental hygiene practice and 70% wanted alternatives to the current dental hygiene care delivery system. Most respondents stated general supervision and independent practice would increase access to oral healthcare without increasing patients' risk of health problems.

CONCLUSIONS:

The majority of Iowa dental hygienists support the dental hygiene profession's goal of self-regulation. ADHA members and nonmembers have similar attitudes and opinions about dental hygiene self-regulation, licensure, delivery systems, and practice.

A comparison was made of the quality of selected operative and periodontal procedures completed by expanded-function dental hygiene and senior dental students. Each student group included 48 students selected from all academic quartiles of their respective classes. The evaluated operative procedures included a Class II preparation and amalgam restoration and a Class III preparation and composite restoration. Both operative procedures were completed twice, once on a patient and once on a Dentoform. The periodontal procedures were completed on patients and included a periodontal examination, a periodontal treatment plan, and one quadrant of root planing and soft tissue curettage. Three examiners independently rated each student's performance in an examiner-blind situation. Examiners judged numerous criteria for each procedure as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. In addition, an overall rating of excellent, clinically acceptable, or unacceptable was given to each procedure. Comparisons between student groups of the time required to complete procedures showed that dental students completed cavity preparations of all operative procedures and quadrants of root planing and curettage in significantly less time than did dental hygiene students. For restorations, periodontal examinations, and treatment plans, there was no significant difference between student groups in the time required to complete procedures. In general, the results of the study showed that the dental hygiene students were able to perform selected operative and periodontal procedures at a comparable level to that of senior dental students.

OBJECTIVES:

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research commissioned an assessment of the dental public health infrastructure in the United States as a first step toward ensuring its adequacy. This study examined several elements of the U.S. dental public health infrastructure in government, education, workforce, and regulatory issues, focused primarily at the state level.

METHODS:

Data were drawn from a wide range of sources, including original surveys, analysis of existing databases, and compilation of publicly available information.

RESULTS:

In 2002, 72.5% of states had a full-time dental director and 65% of state dental programs had total budgets of 1 million dollars or less. Among U.S. dental schools, 68% had a dental public health academic unit. Twelve and a half percent of dental schools and 64.3% of dental hygiene programs had no faculty member with a public health degree. Among schools of public health, 15% offered a graduate degree in a dental public health concentration area, and 60% had no faculty member with a dental or dental hygiene degree. There were 141 active diplomates of the American Board of Dental Public Health as of February 2001; 15% worked for state, county, or local governments. In May 2003, there were 640 U.S. members of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry with few members in most states. In 2002, 544 American Dental Association members reported their specialty as Dental Public Health, which ranged from 0 in five states to 41 in California. Just two states had a public health dentist on their dental licensing boards.

CONCLUSIONS:

Findings suggest the U.S. dental public health workforce is small, most state programs have scant funding, the field has minimal presence in academia, and dental public health has little role in the regulation of dentistry and dental hygiene. Successful efforts to enhance the many aspects of the U.S. dental public health infrastructure will require substantial collaboration among many diverse partners.

Purpose Concerns regarding the ethical justification for the use of single-encounter, procedure-based examinations on live patients for the licensure of dental hygienists and dentists in the United States persists despite decades of debate and publication on the subject. The purpose of this literature review was to summarize the specific ethical concerns and quantify recommendations in favor or against this examination methodology.Methods A population, intervention, control or comparison, outcome (PICO) question was developed to review the topic as follows: "For individuals receiving dental care as part of determination of candidates for competency and readiness for licensure, do patient-based licensure examinations, as compared to other assessment methods, violate or infringe upon ethical principles or ethical standards for health care or society?" An electronic search was performed in three databases: PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Embase. Key search terms and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) included the following: ethics, clinical, competence, dental, dental hygiene, dentistry, education, licensure, live patient, and practice.Results Ethical concerns about the use of patient examinations have been published in the professional literature for over 35 years. Of the 29 selected or endpoint articles identified, 27 articles cited one or more ethical concerns relating to single-encounter patient-based examinations while 20 articles recommended the elimination of this type of examination with an additional 6 articles citing elimination as an option in resolving the ethical issues regarding this type of licensure examination.Conclusion The literature holds a predominant, prevailing professional opinion that single-encounter, procedure-based examinations on live patients presents significant ethical concerns and should be eliminated as a method in initial dental hygiene and dental licensure. The literature also suggests that state dental boards should initiate corrective regulatory or legislative actions to expeditiously end recognition of live patient examinations in their licensure processes.

PURPOSE:

Numerous studies have documented comparable outcomes from Web-based and traditional classroom instruction. However, there is a paucity of literature comparing these two delivery formats for gerontology courses in dental hygiene curricula. This study examines the effectiveness of alternative methods of course delivery by comparing student profiles and instructional outcomes from a dental hygiene gerontology course offered both on the Web and in a traditional classroom setting.

METHODS:

Questionnaires were sent to both groups of students completing the course. The instrument was designed to establish profiles of the participating students. The data collected included familiarity with Web-based instruction, extent of prior computer training, previous interaction with the elderly, and student evaluations of course effectiveness. Traditional instructional outcomes from evaluated course work were compared, as were post-course exam outcomes that assessed retention of course information six months after course completion. The statistical significance of these data was determined using Statistical Package for Social Scientists software (SPSS, Inc., version 12.0, Chicago, IL).

RESULTS:

A comparison of student characteristics enrolled in the two course formats revealed marked differences. The Web-based group (n=12) included dental hygiene students (67%) and other health care providers (25%). All participants in the traditional classroom format (n=32) were dental hygiene students. Half of the Web-based respondents were over 25 years of age, and the majority (n=8) had previously taken an online course. The majority of traditional classroom students were 25 years of age or younger (n=21) and had never taken a Web-based course (n=20). Statistically significant differences in instructional outcomes were observed between students enrolled in these two formats. Student retention of course material six months after completion of the course was greater in the Web-based format.

CONCLUSIONS:

Students selecting a Web-based course format demonstrated greater motivation and learning success based on final course grades, completion of assignments, and knowledge retention over time. Age, previous experience with online courses, and selection of teaching mode are factors that may confound course delivery method to influence instructional outcomes in a gerontology course within a dental hygiene curriculum.

A baccalaureate dental hygiene education program was intentionally designed and implemented to prepare dental hygienists to work in expanded public health practice.

BACKGROUND:

Expanded practice dental hygienists (EPDH) in Oregon practice without the supervision of a dentist to provide dental hygiene services for underserved patients with limited access to dental care. Ten competencies were identified for the successful EPDH, and then these competencies were incorporated into the curriculum of a baccalaureate dental hygiene program.

METHODS:

When recent graduates of the innovative program were surveyed, results indicated that they felt well prepared for expanded practice, they had a high level of interest in working as an EPDH, and all were planning to apply for an expanded practice permit. Two graduates and their unique contributions to individuals in need are profiled.

CONCLUSIONS:

Intentional preparation of dental hygienists for expanded public health roles suggested the need for a baccalaureate curriculum designed specifically for that purpose. Advocacy and collaboration among educators, legislators, and administrators in Oregon led to the development and implementation of such an innovative dental hygiene education program at Pacific University. Graduates are likely to pursue opportunities working as EPDHs. Further research will document the viability of this purposefully designed curriculum to prepare dental hygienists to help meet the public need for optimal oral health.

INTERVENTION:

Intervention 1: Control group: People in the control group will receive the oral‐dental hygiene principles orally by the dentist. In addition, brochures prepared about oral‐dental hygiene will be given to the control group. Intervention 2: Intervention group: Pregnant women in the intervention group, in addition to receiving oral‐dental hygiene principles and oral‐dental hygiene brochures, will also receive a mobile‐based self‐care application.

CONDITION:

Oral‐Dental Hygiene.

PRIMARY OUTCOME:

Dental plaque index. Timepoint: At the beginning of the study (before the intervention), one month after using the application and three months after using the application. Method of measurement: Plaque disclosing tablet and Plaque ontrol record (O'Leary index). Gingival Index (GI). Timepoint: At the beginning of the study (before the intervention), one month after using the application and three months after using the application. Method of measurement: Loe and sillness index. White spot lesions. Timepoint: At the beginning of the study (before the intervention), one month after using the application and three months after using the application. Method of measurement: Visual examination method.

INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Age between 25 and 35 years Willingness to participate in the study Having a smart phone Ability to work with applications Gestational age of the second and third trimesters of pregnancy (from the 15th week to the end of delivery) Pregnant women without tooth decay and gum disease