PubMed · 14267161
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C WILLIAMS. 1965. PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14267161/
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AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the educational needs and employment status of registered dental hygienists in Scotland. SUBJECTS: Three hundred and eighty one registered dental hygienists with postal addresses in Scotland. DESIGN: Structured questionnaire. RESULTS: A 76% response rate was achieved following two mailings. Of the respondents, 43% were in full-time employment albeit in more than one setting, mostly in the 'central belt' of Scotland. It was reported that 41% were employed in general dental practice with both NHS and private lists and 39% worked in a purely private setting. The introduction of extended clinical duties had been well received and 59% of subjects were interested in additional training in dental therapy, should this become available. Absence of funding for CPD was raised repeatedly, with only 41% reporting a degree of financial assistance. Greater accessibility to continuing education via distance learning, particularly in remote and rural settings, was requested by 73% of hygienists. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies a number of issues in relation to this increasingly important group of healthcare professionals, which will inform the providers of oral healthcare. Although hygienists' involvement in CPD was commendable, results indicated that despite commitment to their profession, respondents did not always feel respected in terms of their employment status or support for continuing professional development.
Local health departments can be resources for the public and health professionals to access educational materials on a variety of topics. Though the dental office is ideal, it should not be the only venue for obtaining oral cancer educational materials. As part of a cancer prevention and early detection project, this pilot study solicited printed educational materials concerning oral cancer from all local health departments (LHDs) in Illinois. Sixty of the 94 health departments responded, for a response rate of 63.8%. Only 32 had printed oral cancer educational materials for public and professional distribution, and most focused on tobacco. Forty-eight different samples were received. At least one risk factor was identified in all materials. The most common was tobacco usage, present in 100% of the materials. Twenty-nine (61%) identified tobacco use as the only risk factor. Alcohol consumption, the second most frequently identified risk factor, was mentioned in only 12 (26%) of the materials. Few materials comprehensively covered areas such as signs and symptoms, risk factors, and the importance of examinations for early detection. Only five materials (11%) acknowledged that early lesions are often asymptomatic. Local health departments are in an influential position to disseminate educational materials to the public and health professionals. Dental hygienists have the knowledge and expertise required to identify quality materials. They should be proactive in assisting LHDs with acquisition of appropriate printed materials and partner with them to advocate for prevention and early detection of oral cancer. In collaboration, the two can ensure that all LHDs have current and comprehensive printed materials about oral cancer to distribute to the public and other health professionals.
AIM: To investigate the preventive orientation of general dental practices by examining their patient-active prevention activities, practice policies for prevention and employment strategies. METHOD: All general dental practices located within the region of the Eastern Health and Social Services Board (EHSSB) in Northern Ireland were contacted and invited to participate. A questionnaire assessed practice characteristics, patient-active prevention, practice policies and employment strategies. The principal general dental practitioner (GDP) was invited to complete the questionnaire. RESULTS: Seventy-seven per cent of practices participated. Nearly all the practices provided patient-active prevention; however, lower proportions of dentists provided advice on diet for dental caries (3%), oral hygiene instruction, fluoride toothpaste use and interdental cleaning (7%) with each new course of dental treatment. 'Patient-active' prevention practices were 5.8 times more likely to employ a hygienist and 5.3 times more likely to have a practice policy to screen for oral cancer. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the employment of a hygienist is central to the reorientation of primary dental care. The Government must be encouraged to provide the financial means to allow primary care to shift from being disease-centred to health-focused.