Standardizing the job description of public health dentists in South Korea / 대한구강보건학회지

ABSTRACT

Objectives@#This study addressed longstanding issues in Korea’s public health dentist system by defining and standardizing job duties. A practical job description was drafted based on job analysis results to promote work efficiency and lay the groundwork for future educational programs. @*Methods@#The job description elements were selected and drafted based on previous studies.These drafts were revised and refined with expert panel validation. @*Results@#The main job duties of public health dentists encompass community oral health, dental practice, public oral health research, and special oral health, tailored for institutions such as health sub-centers, health centers, health clinics, national health organizations, and correctional facilities. For community oral health at public health subcenters involves 12 key duties including projects, education, and community engagement. Public health centers/clinics focus on 16 key duties mainly around health project planning and evaluation. Dental care across both settings has 15 main duties. Public oral health research emphasizes community surveys and epidemiology. Special oral health in correctional facilities covers 11 main duties including education and external resource linking. @*Conclusions@#It concluded that for the development of public health dentists in South Korea, it is necessary to develop public health dentist education programs to promote the performance of public health dentists and to equip them with the competencies necessary to perform such duties, focusing on job descriptions organized around the characteristics of workplaces and major tasks.