• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.773-784
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• 2021

Objectives: This study presents the basic data necessary to explore the methods used of Korean dental hygienists to resolve oral health inequalities in Korea via reviewing the professionalization trend of American dental hygienists. Methods: The supervision levels of American dental hygienists, and system of dental therapists were analyzed using the data published by the relevant associations. Results: In America, dental hygienists help address oral health inequalities. However, due to limitations in the supervision levels and scope of practice of dental hygienists, the autonomy of dental hygienists was expanded, and mid-level practitioner were employed. The autonomy for dental hygiene practice was higher in public than in private in America. Some states have introduced dental therapists as mid-level practitioners. Their practice settings have limitations such as serving low-income, uninsured, and underserved patients or serving in a dental health professional shortage area. Conclusions: It is necessary to expand the autonomy of dental hygienists based on their profession. In particular, it is suggested that they start with the low-risk level practices. Further, it is necessary to introduce a dental hygiene specialist system specialized for fields with high social demands.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.45-49
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• 2005

This study is designed to present basic materials necessary for offering the more effective way of dental hygienists, or those who are in charge of the education of Oral health, the treatment and prevention of dental problems, educating Oral health by stage by dint of determining the actual condition of the knowledge and management of dental hygiene, or prevention of the basic dental disease except the professional methods of dental management and evaluating their abilities to manage dental hygienes. In terms of the real conditions of the management of dental hygienes, the majority of the subjects said, "not bad" or "healthy". Most of them (62.1%) said that they brush their teeth three times a day, and most of them (85.2%) depend on rolling methods. 69.2% of them used brushes that are neither hard nor soft, and 28.4% of them use soft brushes and 49.7% of them brush their teeth for about 3 minutes. In terms of brushing time, 27.8% of them brush their teeth after lunch, while 23.8% of them brush their teeth after breakfast. 66.3% of them use fluoric tooth pastes while 19.5 percent of them said, "I have no idea." and 14.2% of them said, "No." In terms of complementary dental hygiene goods, dental goggles are used by 23% of them, and dental threads are used by 78.1% and tooth brushes are used by 78.1% of them, and 42.4% of the subjects use the instruments one to twice a day, and 53.8% of them use them for less than one minute a time. In terms of dental health care, 17.2% of them have a chew of gum and 8.3% of them pay a regular visit to dental clinics and 5.3% of them don't smoke.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.37-47
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• 2007

Targeting dental hygienists who work in clinical division and public dental health division, this study was to investigate and analyze their working environment by work division, so that it could make basic material available in the interest of efficiently employing technical manpower specializing in public health and their better work environment in the future. 1. In terms of the sociodemographic characteristics of respondents, it was found that employees in public health were married in higher percentage and had higher age with longer career than those in clinical division, and it was noted that the former group had higher percentage in longer academic career than the latter group. 2. In terms of working days and hours, it was found that dental hygienists employed in public health worked 5 days a week(95.8%), while those in clinical division worked 6 days a week(70.3%). That is, the latter group worked longer days a week than the former group. 3. In terms of annual regular holidays, it was found that dental hygienists in public health division mostly took 11 to 20 days off a year, while those in clinical division mostly took 1 to 3 days off a year. That is, the former group is significant different in annual holidays from the latter group. 4. In terms of pay and allowances, it was found that most of public health group(89.4%) got monthly pay, while most of clinical group(65.4%) got the pay in annual salary. 5. In terms of reorientation experiences, it was found that 63.5% of total respondents didn't have any opportunity of domestic and overseas reorientation. And in terms of financial sponsorship for reorientation, it was noted that 54.0% of total respondents were financially supported for their reorientation by the institution they work for. 6. In terms of in-house welfare environment for married employees, it was found that 85.5% respondents ever faced no discrimination in job opportunities. In terms of the availability of maternity leave, it was noted that 69.2% respondents used the maternity leave, and 74.8% respondents used the maternity leave during 3 months. 7. In terms of quitting job, it was found that 46.8% respondents had ever left their job(public health group: 53.8%, clinical group: 45.8%), while the remaining 53.2% respondents(public health group: 46.2%, clinical group: 54.2%) had never left their job. Here, it is found that the employees in public health accounted for somewhat higher percentage in quitting job than those in clinical division. In terms of the number of leaving job, it was noted that most(50.8%) respondents left their job once, and there were similar distributions in quitting job between these both groups. In terms of the reason for quitting job, it was found that 29.2% respondents left their job due to desire for better pay(allowance) and working conditions.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.233-238
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• 2005

The study was intended to investigate elementary schoolers' oral health status according to whether the school have and manage an school oral health clinic or not in order to provide useful information for continuously developing the school oral health clinic 1,163 children in Hwasan elementary school in Hwasung city and 485 children in S elementary school in the same locality were selected as the experimental group and the control group, respectively, and orally examined from May 1st to 30th, 2004. The findings from the oral examination were as follows. 1. DMF rate was higher in the higher grades in both the groups. The rate was lower in the experimental group with 45.1% of the children than in the control group with 65.3% of the children. 2. DMFT rate also were higher as the grades were higher in both the groups. The ratio was lower in the experimental group with 30.4% of the children than in the control group with 44.6% of the children. 3. DMFT index was 1.0 in number in the experimental group and 1.6 in the control group. Index increase from the 1st grade to the sixth grade was also more positive in the experimental group. 4. DT rate was a little higher in the experimental group in the first graders, but comparatively decreased to the grades while increased in the control group. In the sixth graders, the rate was 42.4% in the experimental group and 87.7% in the control group, the former was less than the latter by about 50% point. 5. FT rate was a little higher in the control group for the first graders but increased in the experimental group to the grades. The rate in the sixth graders was higher by more than double in the experimental group. Based on the above findings, the region of the study had better oral health statistics than in other regions. The operation of school oral health clinics that provide dental health care to children at the right time seems to contribute to enhancing their dental health status by preventing against dental diseases and changing their relevant knowledge, attitude and behaviors. In the future, more school oral health clinics should gradually be prepared to push ahead with a sustained, extensive dental health project geared toward school-aged children. To make it happen, dental hygienists who are professional medical personnels should be taken advantage of, and in order to beef up the efficiency of preventive measures and oral health education, the best dental health care services should be offered by harnessing dental hygienists and dentists who work at public dental clinics run by local governments.