Assessment of full-time dental hygiene faculty participation in clinical practice.
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The purpose of this research project was to determine how many U.S. dental hygiene (DH) programs had full-time (FT) faculty members who provided direct patient care unrelated to the curriculum. Questions in this project also assessed attitudes and opinions of DH directors regarding clinical practice and opportunities for salary supplementation. A questionnaire of twenty open-ended and closed-ended questions was designed on Survey Monkey, an online survey engine. After IRB approval and pilot testing, 278 U.S. DH program directors received two emails with the survey link requesting their participation. A response rate of 69.1 percent (n=192) was achieved. Results revealed that 14.2 percent of the programs required FT DH faculties to participate in clinical practice settings unrelated to the curriculum, while 67 percent of the programs had faculties who also participated in clinical practice. Eighty-three percent of respondents reported faculties who participated in clinical practice were financially compensated. The majority (95.4 percent) of directors indicated maintaining clinical skills was an advantage to clinical practice, while 48 percent of directors indicated participation takes time away from being an educator. Overall, the majority of DH programs did not require FT faculties to participate in clinical practice; however, respondents were generally in favor of allowing faculties the opportunity to practice and thought that it enhanced their competency as clinical instructors. (+info)
Oral cancer prevention and early detection: knowledge, practices, and opinions of oral health care providers in New York State.
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BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, practices, and opinions of dentists and dental hygienists in New York State regarding oral cancer prevention and early detection. METHOD: We sent questionnaires to a stratified random sample of dentists and dental hygienists selected from a list of licensed oral health care providers in New York State. We analyzed responses to the questionnaires, and we derived descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The effective response rate was 55% and 65% among dentists and dental hygienists, respectively. About 85% of dentists and 78% of dental hygienists reported providing annual oral cancer examination to their patients aged 40 and above. Although a majority assessed tobacco use, fewer practitioners assessed alcohol use. Both dentists and dental hygienists lacked knowledge in some aspects of risk factors, signs, and symptoms of oral cancer. However, dentists had significantly higher knowledge scores than dental hygienists. CONCLUSION: Dentists and dental hygienists in New York State are knowledgeable about oral cancer, but there are gaps in the knowledge of certain risk factors and in the oral cancer examination technique. (+info)
Allied restorative functions training in Minnesota: a case study.
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In 2003, the Minnesota Dental Practice Act was modified to allow dental hygienists and assistants to place amalgam, composite, glass ionomer, and stainless steel crowns. The concept of utilizing allied professionals to perform expanded functions has been suggested as a way to increase access to care and productivity. A continuing education course was offered to provide required certification for interested dental practitioners (N=12). The objectives of this study were to examine confidence levels and effectiveness of the continuing education program. Pre- and post-course restorative content knowledge, along with confidence levels in knowledge, technical skills, and the ability to implement skills were measured. A matched pairs t-test found a significant increase in participants' restorative content knowledge (p<.001). Wilcoxen signed rank tests revealed an increase in confidence in all content knowledge (p<.01) and technical skill (p<.05) categories. Participants did not significantly increase in confidence to implement restorative functions skills into practice (p<.7). Interview data revealed that participants remain unclear about ways to incorporate restorative functions into the schedule. Findings in this case study suggest that content knowledge and confidence levels increase following completion of a restorative functions course. To improve education and training, research is needed to identify why participants' confidence in implementation did not increase. (+info)
Evaluation of an academic service-learning course on special needs patients for dental hygiene students: a qualitative study.
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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of a service-learning course on special needs patients for dental hygiene students by considering student reflections, community site coordinators' feedback, and faculty reflections in a qualitative analysis. Twenty-three female dental hygiene students beginning their fourth semester in the program provided preventive oral health services at eight community sites serving six diverse groups of people having special health care needs. Students reflected on the experience via commentaries written in self-reflection journals. The investigators applied the constant comparative method to analyze and unitize the data, ultimately reaching consensus on three category topics: awareness, higher order thinking, and professionalism. End of course project assessments provided additional data that was used to triangulate with data from the reflective journals. Telephone interviews with the site coordinators and personal interviews with the course faculty provided data from multiple perspectives. The outcomes of this study suggest that service-learning pedagogy can facilitate a deeper understanding of the subject matter and provide an opportunity for students to use critical thinking strategies in addition to becoming aware of complex social and professional issues related to the oral health care of individuals with special needs. (+info)
Attitudes of Ohio dentists and dental hygienists on the use of automated external defibrillators.
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The American Heart Association reports that approximately 220,000 people die each year of sudden cardiac arrest. In ventricular fibrillation (VF), the most common abnormal heart rhythm that causes cardiac arrest, the heart's electrical impulses suddenly become chaotic, often without warning. Death will follow within minutes if the victim is not treated appropriately, and the only known treatment is defibrillation. An automated external defibrillator (AED) can restore a victim's normal heart rhythm by providing defibrillation. The purpose of this study was to gather data from dentists and dental hygienists in Ohio on their use of and attitudes toward using AEDs in dental offices. Six percent of Ohio dentists and dental hygienists were randomly selected to receive a twenty-three question survey related to their use of and attitudes toward their use of AEDs in dental offices. Thirty-three percent (244) of the surveys were returned; 41 percent of the respondents were dentists, and 59 percent were dental hygienists. Six percent said they have had to administer nitroglycerin to a patient during a dental visit; 5 percent have performed CPR on a patient in the dental office; and 78 percent said their last CPR training course included training on an AED. Eleven percent said there was an AED at their dental office. With the increased likelihood of dealing with a cardiac emergency in the dental office setting and the willingness of dental professionals to use an AED, all dental offices should consider obtaining an AED. Dental educators should become familiar with current protocols for handling cardiac medical emergencies in the dental office and prepare dental and dental hygiene students with the skills necessary to manage patients with cardiac emergencies. Graduating dental students entering private practice may want to consider the AED as part of their medical emergency office protocol. (+info)
Eating disorders in the oral health curriculum.
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Due to the oral/systemic nature of eating disorders, this serious health issue requires comprehensive patient assessment and coordinated health treatment. The purpose of this study was to assess the breadth and depth of eating disorder and comprehensive care within the dental and dental hygiene curriculum. Survey data were collected from deans of U.S. dental programs (n=24) and dental hygiene program directors (n=94). Statistically significant differences were observed between dental programs (DP) and dental hygiene programs (DHP) as more DHP reported including anorexia nervosa (p<.001), bulimia nervosa (p<.001), and oral manifestations of eating disorders (p=.003) within their curricula. Clock hours dedicated to these topics ranged from seventeen to thirty-five minutes, with no statistically significant differences observed between DP and DHP. Only 58 percent of DP and 56 percent of DHP included patient communication skills specific to eating disorders. Moreover, DHP were observed dedicating more instruction time for this skill (p=.011). As greater emphasis is placed on oral/systemic health and the provision of comprehensive care, many oral health professionals may not be adequately trained to identify, provide education, and communicate with patients regarding the oral/systemic nature of eating disorders. The findings from this study indicate that there is a need for appropriate training to better prepare oral health professionals for comprehensive patient care. (+info)
Comparison of tactile discrimination associated with varying weights of explorers.
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The prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in dental hygienists is significantly higher than that of the general population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of explorer weight on dental and dental hygiene students' tactile discrimination when exploring. A randomized controlled clinical trial utilizing a dual dependent statistical design was used to collect data on a convenience sample of forty-eight (n=48) dental hygiene students beginning their senior year of their curriculum. Tactile discrimination was measured by having twenty-four experimental subjects (using a lightweight 0.4 ounce explorer) and twenty-four control subjects (using a heavier 1.0 ounce explorer) delineate the coarseness of varying textures of sandpaper in an apparatus that provided a blinded environment. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics, chi square tests, and independent sample t-test were computed. Results did not display statistically significant differences between groups. Descriptive statistics illustrated that students using lightweight explorers were better able to delineate between textures. One exception to this finding was with very similar textures, where heavier explorers provided superior tactile discrimination. Overall, the weight of the explorer does not affect students' tactile discrimination abilities. (+info)
Evolution of a tobacco cessation curriculum for dental hygiene students at Indiana University School of Dentistry.
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Barriers to consistent implementation of tobacco cessation strategies by dental hygiene students in practice may be overcome through mentoring by expert faculty members. This article describes a pilot study using an innovative method to achieve higher levels of student-perceived confidence and skill in delivering cessation messages to patients. Following completion of the didactic course content, each student selected a tobacco user to complete the Indiana University Nicotine Dependence Program Patient Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ). Detailed analysis of the questionnaire and development of specific cessation strategies were accomplished in a one-to-one interchange with expert faculty members. Students provided suggestions to patients, wrote papers summarizing their experiences, and were asked to complete an anonymous survey. Forty-four of forty-six students completed the survey. Eighty percent reported the mentored session was useful in learning specific cessation strategies; 83 percent reported the session helped to boost their confidence levels in approaching patients in tobacco cessation; 83 percent believed they would use learned strategies with other patients; and 86 percent recommended this educational approach for future students. Additional mentoring may overcome barriers to approaching patients in tobacco cessation by increasing levels of confidence and skill when delivering cessation messages. This may translate into continued application of these strategies in private practice, resulting in potential benefits to the health of the public. (+info)