Advancing the voice of women through doctoral education: Proposed models for dental hygienists and dental therapists.

The increase in scientific knowledge, oral healthcare, new dental hygiene workforce models, and the latest clinical skills, have elevated the need for doctoral prepared dental hygienists and dental therapists. These oral care providers need to be empowered with advanced preparation in education, research, and leadership. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to present two curricular models for a doctorate of philosophy and a doctorate of oral health practice recognizing that students may have different goals and interests in educational pursuits. The doctoral program models support the conduct of research and scholarship, which supports the research infrastructure of the profession and emphasizes the dissemination of scholarly works. Creation of doctoral programs for dental hygienists and dental therapists provides opportunities to broaden choices and strive for autonomy throughout their careers. These programs may support the development of additional scholars and advanced practitioners who can contribute to the scientific body of knowledge and create policies and pathways to improve population oral health.

Allied Dental Students' Perceived Knowledge, Confidence, and Attitudes Regarding Disaster Victim Identification Topics.

Purpose Disaster victim identification (DVI) service requires knowledge, confidence, and an attitude (KCA) of readiness. The purpose of this study was to assess allied dental students' perceived KCA regarding DVI skills and topics.Methods A convenience sample of senior dental hygiene students (n=27) and senior dental assistant students (n=14) were recruited by email then presented mismatched simulated antemortem (AM) and postmortem (PM) bitewing radiographs and asked to indicate correct matches. Collectively, participants made 205 radiographic matches and indicated 205 degrees of certainty binarily as "positive" or "possible" (one per match). Participants also completed a researcher designed pretest/posttest electronic survey with seven 3-point Likert-scale items with answer options of "slightly", "moderately", or "extremely" regarding self-perceived knowledge. Statistical analyses were conducted with R software using an α=0.05 significance level.Results A total of n=41 students participated, yielding a response rate of 85.4%. A one-sided linear trend test revealed statistically significant increases of perceived confidence in knowledge from pretest to posttest regarding forensic odontologists' role in DVI (p<0.0001), DVI applications for mass fatality incidents (MFI) (p<0.0001), role of dental radiology in DVI (p<0.0001), and dental morphology applications for DVI (p<0.0001). Participants indicated moderate or extreme confidence in personal clinical skillsets to assist forensic odontologists with DVI. A one-sided Fisher's exact test revealed a statistically significant (p<0.05) positive association between expressed degree of certainty (confidence) and correct radiographic matches. A one-sided linear trend test revealed statistically significant (p<0.0001) improvements in attitude regarding participants' perceived importance for their respective professions to volunteer in DVI.Conclusion Participants of this study reported significant improvements of self-perceived KCA regarding DVI skills and topics. These characteristics may encourage allied dental professionals to pursue further DVI educational opportunities and future service when support is needed for MFI.

Update on Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancers: A guide for oral health care providers.

Oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) signs and symptoms may be first identified by dental hygienists during routine extra and intra-oral examinations. A comprehensive extra-oral and intra-oral examination during regular dental hygiene assessment is paramount to identifying oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) and cancerous lesions for timely referral and treatment. Integrating a systematic list of questions during the medical and dental assessment along with careful visual and tactile examinations is critical to identifying OPMDs and cancerous lesions. Understanding the relationship between oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and how vaccination can prevent HPV-related OPSCC is critical to providing evidence-based recommendations and care. The purpose of this report is to provide an update on current epidemiological trends of OSCC and OPSCC rates in the United States (US) and provide the latest evidence on what dental hygienists must know to improve health outcomes and mitigate the consequences of undiagnosed cancer. This report considers enduring challenges with the annual rise in OPSCC rates and the public health burden of HPV-related cancers in the US. Emphasis on regular, quality continuing education about OSCC and OPSCC is emphasized along with recommendations for evidence-based training.

Challenges of Incivility in Dental Practice and Education.

Professional collaboration is a key component of patient care and a source of fulfilment for oral health care providers. However, reports of incivility in employment as well as education are increasing impacting individuals in all settings including patients. Uncivil behavior implies a disregard for others and creates an atmosphere of disrespect, conflict, and stress. In contrast, civility towards others implies polite, respectful behavior towards others. This short report presents case studies in dental hygiene clinical practice and in dental hygiene education with strategies for approaching uncivil behavior.

Social Media Use by Dental Hygiene Educators.

Purpose Social media can be an effective tool in health care education. The purpose of this study was to explore dental hygiene educators' familiarity and use of social media platforms and to examine how social media was implemented in dental hygiene education.Methods A 25-item questionnaire was designed to investigate the use of social media by dental hygiene educators. The instrument included demographic data and items addressing personal, professional, and educational use of twelve common social media sites and the respondents' beliefs about social media using a 4-point Likert scale. The electronic questionnaire was distributed by email to 379 dental hygiene program directors in the United States and Canada. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.Results A total of 120 responses were received. While Facebook was the most utilized site for personal use (78.3%), LinkedIn was the most frequently accessed site for professional use (57.5%), and YouTube for educational use (68.3%). There was strong agreement that the interactive nature of online technologies create better learning environments (84.1%). There was also strong agreement that social media use in the classroom invites student participation (77.5%). More than half of the respondents (64.2%) indicated that social media can be an effective method for content delivery.Conclusion Social media is highly utilized for personal use by dental hygiene educators, but less frequently for engagement purposes in the classroom.

Barriers to pursuing further education among Canadian dental hygienists: a qualitative exploration.

Purpose: In recent years, C,anada has seen the development of new educational pathways to baccalaureate education for dental hygienists. Research has demonstrated that degree education strengthens dental hygienists' cognitive and practice abilities and increases career opportunities. However, the 2021 Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) Job Market and Employment Survey reported that only 27% of respondents held a baccalaureate degree. The current study was the first to explore levels of interest in and barriers to pursuing degree education among Canadian diploma-holding dental hygienists. Methods: This qualitative explorative study utilized purposeful maximum variation sampling to select Canadian dental hygienists across 10 provinces and 1 territory for 3 e-focus groups. Selected participants (N = 17) were CDHA members who held a dental hygiene diploma as their highest educational credential. E-focus groups were thematically analysed for barriers using Saldaña's descriptive and in vivo coding. Results: All participants expressed an interest in pursuing further education at some point during their career. Reported barriers to doing so were family commitments, financial restrictions, accessibility, limited employer support, unfamiliarity with eligibility criteria, unfamiliarity with existing programs, stress/anxiety over returning to school, and unfamiliarity with the benefits of earning a degree. Conclusions: The qualitative research findings supplemented answer options for a subsequent national online research survey distributed to all CDHA members; results of that survey are not included in this article. National and provincial dental hygiene associations and educational institutions can use the study findings to develop strategies to reduce barriers and raise awareness of degree education among Canadian dental hygienists.

But: Le Canada constate un mouvement grandissant vers l'élaboration de nouvelles voies d'accès à l'obtention d'un baccalauréat pour les hygiénistes dentaires. La recherche a démontré que les études universitaires renforcent les capacités cognitives et de pratique des hygiénistes dentaires et augmente leurs possibilités de carrière. Toutefois, le Sondage sur le marché du travail et de l'emploi mené en 2021 par l'Association canadienne des hygiénistes dentaires (ACHD) a révélé que seulement 27 % des répondants détenaient un baccalauréat. La présente étude a été la première à examiner les niveaux d'intérêt et les obstacles liés la poursuite d'études universitaires chez les hygiénistes dentaires du Canada titulaires d'un diplôme. Méthodes: Cette étude qualitative exploratoire a utilisé une sélection maximale d'échantillons variés pour sélectionner par choix raisonné des hygiénistes dentaires dans 10 provinces et un territoire du Canada pour 3 groupes de discussion en ligne. Les participants sélectionnés (N = 17) étaient des membres de l'ACHD qui détenaient un diplôme en hygiène dentaire comme diplôme d'études le plus élevé. Les groupes de discussion en ligne ont été analysés par thème pour déterminer les obstacles à l'aide du codage descriptif et in vivo de Saldaña. Résultats: Tous les participants ont exprimé leur intérêt à poursuivre leurs études à un moment ou à un autre de leur carrière. Les obstacles signalés étaient les engagements familiaux, les restrictions financières, l'accessibilité, le soutien limité de l'employeur, la méconnaissance de l'admissibilité, la méconnaissance des programmes existants, le stress et l'anxiété liés au retour aux études et la méconnaissance des avantages de l'obtention d'un diplôme. Conclusion: Les résultats de la recherche qualitative ont enrichi les options de réponse pour un sondage national de recherche en ligne subséquent qui serait distribué à tous les membres de l'ACHD; les résultats de ce sondage ne sont pas inclus dans le présent article. Les associations nationales et provinciales d'hygiène dentaire et les établissements d'enseignement peuvent utiliser les résultats de cette étude pour élaborer des stratégies visant à réduire les obstacles et à sensibiliser les hygiénistes dentaires canadiens aux études universitaires.

A comparison study: The use of digital and conventional impression techniques in dental hygiene education.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to assess the applicability of digital intraoral scanning in dental hygiene education and compare the quality, efficiency, and ease of use to conventional impression techniques. METHODS: Twenty-eight first-year dental hygiene students (DH1) at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry (UTSD) participated in this 2022 study. Each student participated in two 4-h lab sessions. Students took traditional alginate impressions and digital intraoral scans using Planmeca Romexis on standardized teeth during the first and second sessions. Both techniques were assessed by faculty for quality and efficiency using a standardized rubric. Participants completed a post-survey providing insight into their perceptions of both techniques and ease of use. RESULTS: The study had 100% participation in the lab sessions and survey responses (N = 28). The results showed digital scanning produced a statistically higher quality product than conventional alginate impressions (p = 0.023). The study found no statistical difference in the efficiency between the two methods. The majority of students (82%) agreed that digital intraoral scanning was easy to use (p = 0.001), and 89% agreed they would use digital intraoral scanning in clinical courses to help with patient care (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: In this study, dental hygiene students with limited clinical experience learned new technology and used it to produce quality impressions compared to the conventional technique, indicating the value of introducing digital dentistry early in dental hygiene education.

The need for cannabis education in dental hygiene programs.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: Cannabis and the endocannabinoid system (ESC) are rarely included in training programs for healthcare providers. Knowledge within the medical and dental health professionals is lacking regarding the treatment of patients using medical or recreational cannabis. Patients are unaware of the risks associated with cannabis use, and healthcare providers should be prepared to assess, educate, and treat the patients who use cannabis. With the increased legalization and use of cannabis for medical and recreational purposes across the US, this study demonstrated the lack of cannabis education provided in dental hygiene programs. METHODS: In 2021, an online survey was conducted with 327 dental hygiene program directors. Respondents were asked to answer 26 questions. RESULTS: With a 21% response rate and 100% completion rate, 60% of the participants responded that cannabis content was provided in their dental hygiene program, 38% responded with a "no," and one responded with "I do not know." No significant difference was found regardless of whether cannabis was legal in the state for medical or recreational use and whether the cannabis content was included in the dental hygiene curriculum. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that every dental hygiene program should provide cannabis content, and each patient should receive a cannabis assessment at every dental hygiene appointment. Further research is required to identify standardized educational content on cannabis and the ESC, which will enable educators to teach students. The development and implementation of a standardized cannabis use assessment and the creation of standardized recommendations for patients who use cannabis to alleviate adverse oral health effects are important.

Exploring Students' Compassion Outcomes within a Dental School's Tobacco Treatment Training Program: A pilot study.

Purpose It has been suggested that compassion may decrease as students progress through their health care education and into clinical practice. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine whether an immersive curriculum thread of tobacco use disorder (TUD) cessation methodology, including behavioral techniques and communication skills, was associated with any change in dental hygiene and dental students perceived levels of compassion.Methods Dental hygiene (DH) and dental (DS) students (n=300) who had experienced an immersive TUD curriculum from West Virginia University were invited to complete the Sussex-Oxford Compassion Scale-Toward Others (SOC-O) online survey during the academic years 2022-2023. Possible scores on the SOC-O ranged from 20 (no or low compassion) to 100 (high compassion). The SOC-O scores for students who did not have clinical experience and limited TUD content (first- and second-year DH and DS students) were compared with SOC-O scores of students who had clinically applied the immersive tobacco cessation curriculum thread (third and fourth year DH and DS students) using t-tests.Results A total of seventy DH and DS students completed the SOC-O survey for a response rate of 23.3%. The overall mean SOC-O score was 83.0 for participants who lacked clinical experience (DH1, DH2, DS1, DS2) and 85.8 for participants with clinical experience using the TUD content (DH3, DH4, DS3, DS4) (p >0.05). For the SOC-O subscale analysis, both groups were similar in the recognition of suffering, universality of suffering, empathy/compassion for a person suffering, tolerance of uncomfortable feelings, and action/motivation to act to alleviate suffering.Conclusion A high level of perceived compassion among dental hygiene and dental students was associated with an immersive behavioral sciences curriculum thread for the assessment/treatment of TUD. Perceived levels of compassion were maintained for participants with and without clinical experience. Additional focus on compassion philosophy research within educational methodology is needed to maintain and improve compassion outcomes in the health care professions.

O-HEALTH-EDU: A viewpoint into the current state of Oral Health Professional education in Europe: Part 1: Programme-level data.

INTRODUCTION: Current legislation leaves Oral Health Professional (OHP) education open to wide interpretation and may result in significant variation in educational practice and resultant professional attributes across Europe. Data regarding the current state of OHP education across Europe is limited. The aim of Part 1 of this series is to provide programme-level data for Primary Dental Degree Programmes, Dental Hygiene and Postgraduate Education. METHODS: A 91-item questionnaire was developed following the Delphi method. The questionnaire and the Articulate glossary of OHP education terms were developed concurrently to facilitate a common understanding of language. Piloting was performed in multiple stages and included institutions internal and external to the research group. The questionnaire was uploaded online and converted to a data hub, allowing dental schools to control their own data and update the data provided whenever they wish. All ADEE member schools (n = 144) were invited to provide data. Forty questions relating to school details, Primary Dental Degree Programmes, Dental Hygiene and Postgraduate Education were included in this part of the series. RESULTS: Seventy-one institutions from 25 European countries provided data between June 2021 and April 2023, which represents a response rate of 49.3% of ADEE members. Programme-level data for Primary Dental Degree Programmes, Dental Hygiene and Postgraduate Education is presented including programme length, funding, languages and fees, student numbers and demographics, student admission and selection processes and permission to practice after graduation. CONCLUSION: This series of papers, as far as the authors are aware, are the first attempts to build a comprehensive picture of the current state of OHP education in Europe. A comprehensive view of the state of OHP education in Europe is not yet available but the O-Health-Edu data hub provides a means for all education providers in Europe to contribute data to reach this goal. It is anticipated that the data hub will be updated and built upon over time to continually establish a clearer picture of the state of OHP education in Europe.

Motivations for and outcomes of graduate education amongst dental hygienists: A pan-Canadian study.

OBJECTIVES: Motivations and career outcomes of dental hygienists with baccalaureate degrees have been recently reported; however, few studies have explored Canadian dental hygienists pursuing graduate education. There is limited evidence to inform career outcomes and motivating factors for advanced education, limiting knowledge of how professional outcomes have evolved alongside advancements in graduate program offerings. This study focused on understanding motivating factors to pursue graduate education and the professional outcomes of dental hygienists with graduate degrees. METHODS: This nested online anonymous survey was conducted between November and December 2021 with dental hygienists who graduated from one of four Canadian baccalaureate-level dental hygiene degree programs and had further indicated that they were pursuing or had obtained additional graduate-level education (n = 60). Participants were asked to report on any advanced graduate-level education. Open-ended questions on graduate degree education were analysed through thematic analysis. RESULTS: Motivations for pursuing graduate degrees were influenced by personal and professional preferences. Master's degree recipients cited expanded career opportunities, alternate interests, convenience, and dissatisfaction with/desire to leave clinical practice as major motivators. Doctoral degree holding dental hygienists identified expanded/alternate career opportunities as major motivation but also cited program convenience as an influencer. The availability of distance and flexible programming is a novel finding that positively influences the pursuit of advanced education. CONCLUSION: Dental hygienists are pursuing graduate education to expand their scope of knowledge and create new career opportunities. Graduate degree programs that accommodate work-life balance through flexible and online offerings are very attractive to dental hygienists.

Shared decision-making in scaling and root planing.

INTRODUCTION: Estimate proportion of various approaches used by dental hygienists for engaging patients in decisions commonly arising during scaling and root planing. Distribution of approaches was compared across various task components in this procedure, practice experience of dental hygienists and patient compliance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Survey of graduates from and students in a baccalaureate dental hygiene program. RESULTS: Paternalism (tell then do) and informed consent (give choices and reasons and ask for permission) were more common than shared decision-making (discuss alternatives, solicit patient input and arrive at a mutual decision) and disengagement (patient refusing offered service or avoiding further involvement) by a ratio of 4 to 1 for the first 2 compared with the latter 2. This relationship was held across selecting treatment, procedural adjuncts, homecare instructions and financial arrangements. Dental hygienists exhibited a range of personal preferences for engagement approaches. No-show rate, patient disengagement outside the office, was high (20%). CONCLUSION: Dental hygienists reported using 'more controlled' approaches to engaging patients in decisions regarding treatment. Patients may prefer to engage in more shared decisions and choose this approach by staying away from the office. This may underestimate patients' decisions to stay away from treatment, for example by not showing for completion of the treatment or disregarding homecare routines.

Teledentistry content in Canadian dental and dental hygiene curricula.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the extent to which teledentistry (TD) content is incorporated into Canadian dental and dental hygiene curricula. METHODS: An anonymous survey was distributed among all 10 dental and 35 dental hygiene programs across Canada in June and July 2022. The survey focused on TD teaching (methods employed, content taught, and barriers to TD education), with descriptive (frequency, maximum, minimum, mean) and inferential (Pearson chi-square for odds ratio test) data analyses using SPSS. A ρ - value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Thirty-four programs responsed to the survey, including all dental (n = 10) and 68% (n = 24) of dental hygiene programs; eighteen reported having TD content, including three dental programs. An average of 9.22 ± 4.86 h was reported for teaching TD, with lecture format as the most employed approach and using TD in dental practice as the most covered topic. While 53% of the dental hygiene programs employed formative and summative assessments, only one dental program reported having assessment for this content. Moreover, programs that dedicated less than 9 h to teaching this content were less likely to address more than seven topics (Odds ratio (OR) = 0.14). CONCLUSION: The dental and dental hygiene programs in Canada differ in their offering TD education, and 30% of the dental and 62.5% of the surveyed dental hygiene programs addressed TD content. This scarcity emphasizes the necessity for incorporating such content in future curriculum planning to consequently decrease the lack of knowledge, an identified barrier to TD implementation in education and practice, as today's students will be future educators.

Success factors and barriers in interprofessional collaboration between dental hygienists and dietitians in community-dwelling older people: Focus group interviews.

INTRODUCTION: Poor nutritional status can impair oral health while poor oral health can influence the individual's dietary intake, which may result in malnutrition. This interaction between nutritional status and oral health in older age requires attention, coordination and collaboration between healthcare professionals. This qualitative study explores dental hygienists' and dietitians' opinions about current collaboration with the aim of identifying success factors and barriers to this interprofessional collaboration. METHODS: Three focus group interviews were held with Dutch dental hygienists and dietitians about nutritional and oral healthcare in community-dwelling older people. RESULTS: In total, 9 dietitians and 11 dental hygienists participated in three online focus group interviews. Dental hygienists and dietitians seldom collaborated or consulted with each other. They struggled with the professional boundaries of their field of expertise and experienced limited knowledge about the scope of practice of the other profession, resulting in conflicting information to patients about nutrition and oral health. Interprofessional education was scarce during their professional training. Organizational and network obstacles to collaborate were recognized, such as limitations in time, reimbursement and their professional network that often does not include a dietitian or dental hygienist. CONCLUSION: Dental hygienists and dietitians do not collaborate or consult each other about (mal)nutrition or oral health in community-dwelling older people. To establish interprofessional collaboration, they need to gain knowledge and skills about nutrition and oral health to effectively recognize problems in nutritional status and oral health. Interprofessional education for healthcare professionals is needed to stimulate interprofessional collaboration to improve care for older people.

Incorporating special needs simulations into allied dental education curriculum to encourage inclusion, understanding, and empathy: A mixed method study.

OBJECTIVES: Allied dental practitioners increasingly encounter demands specific to treating patients with special needs and disabilities. New standards by the Commission on Dental Accreditation require dental and allied dental graduates to have didactic and skill-based competencies to ensure awareness of and effective treatment and recommendations for these patients. This study sought to determine if adding a special needs simulation activity into allied dental students' curriculum would increase the student's awareness of and comfort level when treating patients with special needs. METHODS: This mixed-methods study measures student perceptions specific to the efficacy of adding special needs simulations into the allied dental program curriculum. Graduating dental assistants and dental hygienists (n = 65) participated and were paired within their cohort. Didactic instruction specific to the diagnoses of cerebrovascular accident (CVA), macular degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis, schizophrenia, and hearing impairment was provided. Following formal classroom instruction, pairs of students participated in simulation stations, one for each of the listed diagnoses. A pre-/postsurvey was given to evaluate any changes in student perceptions of patients with special needs, and a Student Evaluation of Educational Quality (SEEQ) postsurvey provided to evaluate their perception of the educational activity. RESULTS: All 65 participants completed the pre- and postsurveys for a 100% response rate, and 61 (93.8%) completed the SEEQ. SPSS software was utilized to run a Wilcoxen Signed Ranks Test to determine significance for each pre-/postsurvey question to determine any statistically significant (p < .05) differences. Means and standard deviations were calculated for each survey item including SEEQ. There were significant differences for each question, and, overall, in participant's perceptions from the presurvey to the postsurvey. Most notable were the positive changes related to the participants' ability to relate to persons with special needs, their awareness of various special needs, and their increased knowledge of available adaptive oral health equipment. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, students feel better prepared to treat clients with special needs after guided instruction within their respected dental hygiene and/or dental assisting programs. The incorporation of lecture and lab content through simulated activities enhances their perceptions, confidence, and preparedness to effectively treat, accommodate, and educate special needs patient's.

Dental hygiene clinical faculty attitudes and likelihood of working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To identify circumstances that influenced dental hygiene clinical faculty's likelihood of working during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to explore attitudes (responsibilities, personal issues, ethics, and policy statements) about working. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used a purposive sample of dental hygienists (n = 1710) employed in academic clinical settings that held full-time, part-time, or adjunct appointments. The Health Care Workers' Attitudes to Working During a Pandemic survey was utilized. Likelihood scores were calculated based on respondents more or less likely to work under differing circumstances. Frequencies of agreement for attitudes were developed. Correlations were explored between likelihood scores and demographic data. Answers to the open-ended questions were categorized and described. RESULTS: The response rate was 13.5% (225/1710). Only one-third of respondents had a likelihood score of 100%. Factors with the greatest impact on likelihood to work were personal protective equipment. Almost all respondents' attitudes of working indicated that their employer is responsible for providing PPE. Over 90% felt their main responsibility was to themselves/family. Correlation analyses resulted in no significant associations between likelihood scores and age, etc. Faculty are considering leaving their jobs because of pay cuts and/or not feeling safe. CONCLUSION: Likelihood of working for dental hygiene faculty represents several personal and ethical decisions. Most respondents want employers to be responsible for their on-the-job safety. In addition, personal and work-related issues were causes of unease. The pandemic has had far-reaching implications on day-to-day work of dental hygiene clinical faculty as well as on the long-term trajectories and views on employment in higher education.

Professional use of social media platforms by independent dental hygienists in the Netherlands: A quantitative study.

AIM: This study examines the prevalence of the professional use of social media platforms by independent DHs in the Netherlands and assesses the associated personal and demographic factors. METHODS: In this exploratory, observational, cross-sectional study, independent DHs who were members of the Dutch Dental Hygienist Association (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Mondhygiënisten: NVM) were included. Data were collected from the DH practices' websites. Statistics included frequency distributions, percentages, chi-square tests for the relationship between the parameters, and multiple logistic regression for the associations between social media use and the personal and demographic factors. RESULTS: A total of 830 independent DHs from 670 different practices were included in the study. Of these DHs, 34.4% had a link to a social media platform on their website. DHs with practices in the west or south of the Netherlands were more likely to use Facebook (p = 0.035 and p = 0.002, respectively) than those in the east or north. The likelihood of DHs with 4 years of training using Facebook was 1.910 greater than those with 2 years of training (p = 0.002). Furthermore, DHs who graduated in Utrecht were more likely to use Instagram (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Over a third of the independent DHs in the Netherlands used social media for professional purposes. DHs who trained in Utrecht for 4 years and who had a practice in the west or south of the Netherlands were more likely to use social media for professional purposes.

A conceptual model using CliftonStrengths® to support dental hygiene students' professional development.

PURPOSE: Professional development is instrumental in the ongoing success of healthcare professionals and students. The purpose of the second year of this 2-year study was to continue to apply the results from the CliftonStrengths® assessment to support entry-level dental hygiene students' professional development and to create a conceptual model for professional development in dental hygiene education. METHODS: CliftonStrengths® was incorporated into didactic and community learning experiences throughout year two of the dental hygiene curriculum. At the end of year two, focus group interviews assessed student perceptions of professional strengths based on these learning experiences. Co-investigators used a qualitative analysis software program to identify codes and themes. Investigator triangulation and member checks were used to validate responses. RESULTS: All second-year dental hygiene students (n = 32) participated in year two of the study. Two themes were identified: relevance of CliftonStrengths® and professional development. Within the theme of relevance, the subthemes of adaptability, making connections and teamwork emerged. The theme of professional development yielded three subthemes: appreciation, personal and professional identity and insight. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated CliftonStrengths® can be used to promote professional development among dental hygiene students. As a result, a conceptual model was developed for professional development in dental hygiene education. This model can be used as a framework for teaching and to improve student learning experiences.

Color-Blind Racial Attitudes in Entry-Level Dental Hygiene Students in Virginia.

Purpose Subscribing to color-blind racial attitudes may contribute to inequities in the delivery of oral care and affect treatment of diverse patients. The purpose of this study was to survey all entry-level dental hygiene students in one state to determine color-blind racial attitudes.Methods After IRB approval, a convenience sample of 220 dental hygiene students in all entry-level programs in Virginia were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study. The Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS), an effective, validated measuring instrument, was used to quantify unawareness of contemporary racist ideals. Three subscales (Racial Privilege, Institutional Discrimination, and Blatant Racial Issues) were also measured by the survey. Descriptive statistics, separate one-way between-subjects ANOVA, and independent samples t-tests were used to analyze the data.Results One hundred and sixty (n=160) dental hygiene students completed the survey. Independent samples t-tests revealed statistically significant differences when comparing year in program and program type. Participants in their second year of dental hygiene education had significantly lower overall CoBRAS scores compared to those in their first year of education (M=50.76, M=59.13, respectively; p=0.004). Participants enrolled in a baccalaureate dental hygiene (B.S.) program had significantly lower overall CoBRAS scores compared to those enrolled in an associate (A.S.) program (M=50.53, M=59.54, respectively; p=0.002).Conclusion Participants possessed moderate levels of color-blindness suggesting a need for more awareness and training early in dental hygiene education to increase delivery of culturally competent oral healthcare.