Dental Hygiene Public Perception and Knowledge what is the public’s perception and knowledge about dental hygiene?
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What are the public’s perception and knowledge about dental hygiene?
Dental Hygiene Public Perception and Knowledge Abstract
This study focuses on dental hygiene and public perception. Dental hygiene is considered one of several dental auxiliary professions that provide help or assistance to a supervising dentist.
The scope of tental hygienists practice also varies and usually depends on the overall healthcare system. Because of these, perception of dental hygiene varies within the population. In this paper, media coverage of the dental hygiene, perception, trust and respect for the profession will be analyzed.
To assess perception and misperceptions about the profession of dental hygiene, a survey that contains qualitative and quantitative questions will be proposed.
Dental Hygiene Public Perception and Knowledge Literature Review
The focus of this paper is to assess brief history of the dental hygiene, media coverage of the field, and overall perception of the population and other entities.
History: Though the field of dentistry can be traced back to as far as 2600 BC to the Egyptians the rapid progression of the profession in the 19th century lead to the need for proper oral hygiene in maintaining individuals oral health, leading to the birth of the Dental Hygiene field1.
In 1839 an article titled ìDental Hygieneî that discussed the need of a dentist to give proper oral hygiene to restorative and surgical procedures was published in the American Journal of Dental Science.
In 1901 Alfred C Fones, has developed his own impact prophylaxes system however could not found enough time for prophylaxis appointment in addition to restorative and surgical appointments and therefore sleeked employment of an assistant2.
The need for an assistant plus the complexity of the dental field over the past decades leads to the establishment of the Dental Hygiene.
How do the media present the profession of dental hygiene to the public?
Media coverage of dental hygiene: Media plays an important role in driving the perception of the population.
Dentistry has long been negatively portrayed in the media, though many people thought that their dental experiences were positive and enjoyable. Dental hygienist, while not frequently portrayed in the media as dentists, has not also received good coverage.
For instance, in the TV series Reba, the main characterís husband cheated on his wave and married a blonde women whoís dental hygienist3.
Dental hygienist are also usually portrayed as a female, which is more consistent with the general demographic of dental hygienists. Ann Battrell, in a 2009 study, described the average dental hygienist s a female in her forties employed in private practice setting4.
What is the level of respect and confidence for the career?
Dental Hygiene Public Perception and Knowledge Perceptions
Based on a study by Hanna Baer, the general public has an overall correct perception of where dental hygienists fit into the field of dentistry though there is a confusion that dental hygienist and dental assistants are whether or not assisting the dentist with restorative and surgical duties is within the scope of practice of a dental hygienist5.
However, dental hygienists and dental assistants are not thought to be synonymous titles. Within the same study, Hannah Baer showed that trust and respect for the profession has been impacted by categories including age, the type of dental insurance coverage, with individuals with private insurance showing higher trust and respect for the profession. With in the Dental Hygienists, recent graduates at perceived themselves competent in managing oral and dental health problems6. Another survey assessing the perception of general dentists about dental hygienists showed that the importance dentists placed on dental hygienists’ clinical and overall contributions is correlated with the services that the dental hygienist have provided, with older dentist allowing a dental hygienist to provide more services7.
Dental Hygiene Public Perception and Knowledge Methods
A survey will be distributed to about 100 individuals at Care-Point Dental to ask individuals, who have received the service of a dental hygienist, about their perceptions of dental hygiene, their trust level about the profession, comparison to dental assistants. Data will be analyzed with statistical software. There two significant categories of research methods, qualitative and quantitative research techniques. Qualitative research process involves the exploitation of qualitative data to develop an understanding and explanation of a study. Examples of these methods include interviews, data, and observation. Majority of studies in social sciences engage designs such as observations, interviews, and personal experiences during data collection. The method facilitates the achievement of various objectives such as description, interpretation, verification, and evaluation of a phenomenon.
Dental Hygiene Public Perception and Knowledge Reference
1. ADA. History of Dentistry Timeline. 2016. 2 March 2016 http://www.ada.org/en/about-the-ada/ada-history-and-presidents-of-the-ada/ada- history-of-dentistry-timeline>.
2. Alfred C. Fones, DDS. “The Origin and History of the Dental Hygienists.” J Dent Hygiene 87.Supplemental Issue (2013): 58-62.
3. Gibson, Allison M., creator. “Seasons 1-7.” Reba. The WB. 2001-2007. Television.
4. Battrell, Ann. The U.S. Oral Health Workforce in the Coming Decade: Workshop Summary . Institute of Medicine , 2009 ?
5. Hannah Baer? ìPublic Perceptions of the Profession of Dental Hygiene.î Thesis. The Ohio State University. 2016.
6. Gaunkar, R. B., Basavarajappa, P., Raheel, S. A., & Kujan, O. B. (2016). Perception of Dental Public Health Competency among recent graduates. Journal of International Society of Preventive & Community Dentistry, 6(Suppl 2), S137-42.
7. Mishler, Samantha K, Marita R Inglehart, Martha J McComas, Carol Anne Murdoch-Kinch and Janet S Kinney. American Dental Hygienists’ Association February 2018, 92 (1) 30-39;
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