Journal of dental hygiene : JDH / American Dental Hygienists'' Association最新文献

The American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) defines direct access as the ability of a dental hygienist to initiate treatment based on their assessment of patient's needs without the specific authorization of a dentist, treat the patient without the physical presence of a dentist, and maintain a provider-patient relationship. In 2000 there were nine direct access states; currently there are 42 states that have authorized some form of direct access. The ADHA has been instrumental in these legislative initiatives through strong advocacy efforts. While research and data support the benefits of direct preventive/therapeutic care provided by dental hygienists, many barriers remain. This paper chronicles key partnerships which have influenced and advocated for direct access and the recognition of dental hygienists as primary health care providers. The National Governors Association (NGA) released a report in 2014 suggesting that dental hygienists be "deployed" outside of dental offices as one strategy to increase access to oral health care along with reducing restrictive dental practice acts and increasing the scope of practice for dental hygienists. The December 2021 release of the National Institutes of Health report, Oral Health in America, further supports greater access to dental hygiene preventive/therapeutic care. This paper also reflects on opportunities and barriers as they relate to workforce policy, provides examples of effective state policies, and illustrates an educational curriculum specifically created to prepare dental hygienists to provide oral health services in settings outside of the dental office. Dental hygiene education must ensure that graduates are future-ready as essential health care providers, prepared to deliver direct access to dental hygiene care.

Purpose Dental hygiene faculty members must be able to provide evidence of skill calibration for clinical evaluation of students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of online instructional videos compared to in-person sessions for faculty calibration.Methods A randomized crossover pretest/posttest research design was used to evaluate online and in-person faculty calibration activities. Fifteen faculty members from a baccalaureate dental hygiene program were randomly assigned to an AB or BA sequence for calibration sessions on two different instruments. Following a 2-week washout period, the groups switched activity modalities. A pretest, posttest, and retention test, administered 10 weeks following the activity, were administered to determine learning levels and the new and retained knowledge. A 7-point Likert scale questionnaire evaluated the reaction to and impact of the calibration activities. Descriptive statistics analyzed demographic and Likert scale data. Paired samples t-tests were used to analyze the research questions (p≤0.05).Results Online calibration activities yielded higher posttest scores than in-person activities (p=0.01). Findings related to feelings of confidence revealed a greater percentage of participants agreed that online calibration activities increased their ability to evaluate student performance. Findings related to feelings of preparedness supported equal percentages of participants who agreed the online and in-person activities increased their ability to teach dental hygiene instrumentation. There was no significant difference between in-person and online retention test scores (p=0.235).Conclusion Faculty members agreed that both online and in-person calibration activities were an effective use of their time and contributed to greater feelings of confidence and preparedness. However, the online calibration activities seemed to be more effective at increasing calibration on instrumentation. More research is needed to determine additional effective strategies for online calibration of clinical faculty.

During the last century, the role of dental hygienists as leaders in the recognition, prevention, and treatment of oral diseases has grown, reflecting the ever-evolving knowledge base of the profession. The American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) has contributed to and supported research that has formulated the scientific basis for the profession to inform education and practice. Progress has been made across multiple priority areas identified on the National Dental Hygiene Research Agenda, including educational research examining the impact of curriculum models on teaching and learning; health services research projects documenting workforce issues and cost-effectiveness of practice models; and public health initiatives expanding access to care to provide oral health care services for diverse patient populations. The Journal of Dental Hygiene, established in 1927, has played a significant role in disseminating scientific evidence to the global dental hygiene and professional communities. Collaborative efforts both within dental hygiene and externally with interprofessional partners and key stakeholders have positively contributed towards building the research infrastructure to support the profession. The number of dental hygienists who are actively engaged in research has increased, as has the value for research as part of the research culture. Focused research priorities and training efforts have encouraged collaborations across the globe to conduct and promote the science supporting dental hygiene education and practice. Development, testing and validation of theoretical frameworks is essential to drive all professional activities. Building a community of scholars who will continue to define the dental hygiene discipline through scholarship is critical to promote a scholarly identity for the profession.

Purpose This quantitative exploratory study was designed to learn about trends and forces impacting leadership development (LD) opportunities for dental hygiene (DH) program directors.Methods A 10-item electronic survey was created and disseminated using Qualtrics system to directors of all accredited DH programs in the United States (n=325). Surveys included closed and open-ended response items to capture quantitative and qualitative data. Analysis included descriptive statistics and thematic categorization of free responses.Results Eight-two surveys were returned (25% response rate). Leadership development training experiences varied among participants; 79% (n=65) reported completing some form of LD training. Institutional support was variable amongst the DH program directors, yet most (76%, n=62) indicated some level of school support for LD training opportunities for DH program directors. Feedback indicated that most options included campus-sponsored courses or events (28%, n=47), professional association courses or events (24%, n=40), and programs within the school, department, or division (24%, n=40).Conclusion Study findings support positive perceptions of the need, demand, and value of LD. Respondents shared beliefs in the benefits of LD and the value of placing resources to support these opportunities, yet also acknowledged substantial challenges including time, funding, and workforce needs. By addressing barriers and capitalizing on driving forces, programs can create systemic approaches to fostering LD for current and future DH program directors.

Purpose Professional development is instrumental in the ongoing success of healthcare professionals and students. The purpose of the second year of this two-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^® were incorporated in 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 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.

Purpose The goal of this study was to analyze transcription of audio recordings to determine health topics that emerged from brief-motivational interviewing (MI) compared to traditional oral hygiene instructions (OHI).Methods Fifty-eight periodontal maintenance patients were randomized to a brief-MI or traditional OHI group for a longitudinal 1-year clinical trial. Both groups received four patient education sessions per their assigned group. Audio recordings were transcribed and coded. The overarching themes and subthemes emerged were quantified and reported as the number of instances per participant. Global scores and behavioral counts were compared across baseline, 4, 8, and 12-month research visits using mixed-effect models.Results Of the six overarching themes, the brief-MI group evoked more topics toward total health. Oral home care behaviors (15 vs 10.2) and oral diseases/conditions (3.3 vs 1.9) were discussed more in the brief-MI group compared to the traditional OHI group. This positive outcome for the average number of times a health topic was discussed in the brief-MI group compared to the traditional OHI group continued for the remaining major themes: lifestyle behaviors (1.0 vs 0.4), nutrition (2.6 vs 0.8), emotional/mental health (1.8 vs 0.8) and general health (1.2 vs 0.4).Conclusion This study identified that brief-MI was a more successful communication approach to increase discussions of oral home care behaviors, oral diseases/conditions, lifestyle behaviors, nutrition, emotional/mental health and general health compared to traditional OHI in individuals with periodontitis.

Purpose The primary prevention of periodontitis is controlling gingivitis daily. The study objective was to compare the efficacy of a pulsating water flosser to a pulsating water flosser infused with air microbubbles on clinical signs of inflammation and plaque.Methods One hundred and five participants were enrolled in this single-blind, single-center, parallel, four-week, IRB/IEC-approved clinical trial. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: water flosser (WF) plus manual toothbrush, water flosser infused with microbubbles of air (MBWF) plus manual toothbrush, or dental floss (DF) plus manual toothbrush. Bleeding on probing (BOP), Modified Gingival Index (MGI), and Rustogi Modification Navy Plaque Index (RMNPI) scores were recorded at baseline, 2-weeks, and 4-weeks.Results All participants completed the study (n=105). All groups showed a statistically significant reduction for BOP, MGI, and RMNPI at 4-weeks (p<0.05, except DF marginal RMNPI). The WF group showed a statistically significant greater reduction in whole mouth BOP (0.41) compared to MBWF (0.32) and DF (0.19). This was also true for MGI (0.37, 0.30, and 0.20, respectively) and RMNPI (0.13, 0.11, and 0.06, respectively) (p<0.05 for all comparisons). No adverse events were reported.Conclusion This study demonstrates that a manual toothbrush and water flosser, with or without microbubbles, is an effective oral care regimen for controlling gingivitis over four weeks.

Purpose The objective of this study was to compare the effects of ten commercially available instrument handle designs' mass and diameter on forearm muscle activity during a simulated periodontal scaling experience.Methods A convenience sample of 25 registered dental hygienists were recruited for this IRB-approved study. Ten commercially available instruments were categorized into four groups based on their masses and diameters: large diameter/light mass, small diameter/light mass, large diameter/heavy mass, and small diameter/heavy mass. Participants were randomized to four instruments with one from each group. Participants scaled with each instrument in a simulated oral environment while muscle activity was collected using surface electromyography. Muscle activity was compared among the four instrument group types.Results Muscle activity of the flexor digitorum superficialis was not significantly influenced by instrument mass (p=0.60) or diameter (p=0.15). Flexor pollicis longus muscle activity was not significantly influenced by instrument mass (p=0.81); diameter had a significant effect (p=0.001) with smaller diameter instruments producing more muscle activity. For the extensor digitorum communis and extensor carpi radialis brevis, instrument mass did not significantly affect muscle activity (p=0.64, p=0.43), while diameter narrowly failed to reach significance for both muscles (p=0.08, p=0.08); muscle activity for both muscles increased with smaller diameter instruments.Conclusion Results from this study indicate instrument diameter is more influential than mass on muscle activity generation; small diameter instruments increased muscle activity generation when compared to large diameter instruments. Future research in real-world settings is needed to determine the clinical impact of these findings.

Purpose Learning styles have been studied in dental and generational research, but research has been limited with Millennial and Generation Z dental hygiene students. The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to determine if and to what extent there was a difference between Generation Z and Millennial dental hygiene students' preferred learning styles.Methods First- and second-year dental hygiene students attending three programs located in Southern California were invited to participate in the study. Additional participants were recruited through dental hygiene social media sites. The 44 item Felder-Soloman Index of Learning Styles (ILS) was administered via an online survey platform. Millennial and Generation Z participants were compared on the four dimensions of the ILS: active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, visual/verbal, and sequential/global. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the independent samples t-test.Results A total of 150 dental hygiene students agreed to participate; Millennials (n=61), Generation Z (n=89). There was no significant difference between Millennial and Generation Z students in the active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, or sequential/global dimensions (p>0.05); both cohorts preferred the active, sensing, and sequential learning styles. There was a statistically significant difference in the visual/verbal dimension with Millennials indicating a significantly greater preference for the visual learning style than Generation Z (p=0.04).Conclusion There may be differences between the learning styles of Millennial and Generation Z dental hygiene students. The finding that Generation Z students differ significantly from Millennials on the visual-verbal dimension may indicate a shift toward the verbal dimension learning style that needs further study.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a novel training program on dental hygiene students' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about caring for individuals with disabilities.Methods A mixed methods approach was used. Students from five dental hygiene programs based at community colleges completed a two-hour didactic training session to supplement their existing special care dentistry coursework. Students completed an original 14-item pretest and posttest before and after the training that assessed attitudes and beliefs, and two validated posttests that assessed knowledge. Afterwards, students completed a clinical rotation in an advanced care dental clinic at a local academic institution gaining hands-on experience with equipment and patient treatment. Descriptive statistics were used to report training scores, types of services rendered and modifications to treatment. Student comments about their experiences were assessed using thematic analysis.Results Two hundred and ninety-four students completed didactic training and 261 completed clinical rotations. Posttest scores indicated positive improvements in knowledge, attitudes and beliefs. All students provided direct patient care. Sixty-nine percent treated patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities; 75% placed silver diamine fluoride or fluoride varnish. Altered patient positioning was used by 70.5%. Most students (95.4%) reported that their experience positively changed their attitudes towards caring for patients with disabilities in the future. Eight themes emerged, notably increased comfort and confidence, a willingness and desire to treat patients, the acquisition of new skills, and clinician behaviors of empathy and compassion towards others.Conclusion Training can help prepare dental hygiene students with the confidence and skills to address the oral health needs of individuals with disabilities.