• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
• /
• v.9 no.7
• /
• pp.135-140
• /
• 2018

This study aimed to determine the changes of awareness and preference of dental hygienists according to the experience of using a digital intraoral scanner through a convergence study. Data collected by an online survey for dental hygienists in Busan, Gyeongnam and Gyeongbuk were analyzed by SPSS 24.0 program. When dental hygienists had an experience of using a digital intraoral scanner, the awareness and preference of digital intraoral scanners were significantly higher. The experience of using a digital intraoral scanner showed a positive correlation with the clinical application experience of digital intraoral scanners; the clinical application experience of digital intraoral scanners, with the awareness of digital intraoral scanners; and the awareness of digital intraoral scanners, with the preference of digital intraoral scanners. In conclusion, the dental hygienist's experience in clinical application of digital intraoral scanners is expected to increase the awareness and preference, resulting in the improvement of dental hygienists' work ability. Therefore, it is believed that continuous education and learning about digital oral scanners are needed.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.97-106
• /
• 2020

Background: In Korea, laws for many medical technicians were revised in the Enforcement Decree of the Medical Technicians Act (MTA), which was announced on December 2018, whereas those related to dental hygienists remained unchanged. This study aimed to determine the awareness and opinions of dental hygienists regarding MTA. Methods: Dental hygienist were recruited as participants via convenient sampling in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, and Chungcheong-do; data from 291 self-reported questionnaire responses were used for the final analysis. We investigated the participants' general characteristics, awareness, and request for the amendment of the MTA. The compliance with the work scope specified in the MTA and level of demand for revision of the MTA were analyzed by independent t-test and one-way analysis of variance. For all statistical analyses, the significance level was set at 0.05. Results: For the 2018 MTA revision, 99 (34.02%) knew that dental treatment assistance and surgery assistance were excluded, whereas 192 (65.98%) did not know. The item "The current medical technician law must be revised" was scored 4.13±0.80 out of 5 points, and significant differences were identified according to the education level, career, and position (p<0.05). The item "It is necessary to institutionalize the expanded work scope beyond the work scope of dental hygienists specified in the MTA" was scored 4.02±1.04 out of 5 points, and significant differences were identified according to age (p<0.05). Conclusion: The participants wanted the MTA to be revised to reflect the real-world work performed by dental hygienists in the dental clinical field. The legal system must ensure the legal protection of the work area of the dental hygienist as an oral health professional, and recognize the legal work scope of the dental hygienist.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Health Science
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.1559-1568
• /
• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify Happiness index according to job satisfaction and interpersonal problems of dental hygienists in some regions Methods: The subjects of this study were dental hygienists working in dental hospitals in Busan and Gyeongnam. from 1 July 2021 to 30 August 2021 a number of total 198. The structured questionnaire was surveyed and analyzed by self- entry. The collected data were analyzed using an IBM SPSS ver. 20.0. Results: The interpersonal problem were higher in the group under 25 years of age, with, less than 1 year of experience and less than 2-4 year of experience. Happiness index were higher over than 31 year of age. the happiness index was higher in the age group 31 years or older, with more than 5 years of experience, more than 7 days of vacation, work intensity that was tolerable and difficult, and the group with an annual salary of 30 million won or more. the higher the job satisfaction, the lower the interpersonal problems, the happiness index of dental hygienists was high. Conclusions: In order to increase the happiness index of dental hygienists working at dental medical institutions, it is necessary to develop a program that can form amicable interpersonal relationships in the workplace of dental hygienists with little experience. In addition, increase the job satisfaction of dental hygienists, it is necessary to adjust the intensity of work to fit the individual's abilities and aptitudes, and to develop a work system so that dental hygienists can increase their pride in their profession by signing a reasonable salary.

• International Journal of Clinical Preventive Dentistry
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.235-240
• /
• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine about dental hygienists' myofascial pain syndrome, lower back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), medial and lateral epicondylitis, hand-arm vibration syndrom and work-related musculoskeletal syndrome (WMSD) experience and hygienists' posture, motion. Methods: The self-administered questionnaire was surveyed from June 1 to September 30 of 2018 targeting 280 dental hygienists in Gyeongnam province and 266 dental hygienists' answers were analyzed. Results: The average daily working hours of a dental hygienist was more than eight hours 59.0%, with an average of 33 patients per day. The average number of patients who receive treatment for more than 30 minutes is 15. The angle of motion of the subjective evaluation was above 60%. Medical position and form of movement were more than 50% above the standard level. Symptoms of posture and motion that cause WMSD were hand-arm vibration syndrome 68.1%, myofascial pain syndrome 58.6%, lower back pain 51.1%, CTS 50.4% in order. Experience WMSD related symptoms which dental hygienists experience were myofascial pain syndrome 92.9%, CTS 57.9%, lower back pain 56.4%, medial and lateral epicondylitis 37.2%, hand-arm vibration syndrome 24.4%. Conclusion: The above results showed the posture and motion of dental hygienists and were found that the experience rate which dental hygienists experience WMSD of myofascial pain syndrome, Lower back pain, and CTS was significantly more than 56%.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.813-820
• /
• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between professional vocation and ethical inclination in clinical dental hygienists. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was filled out by 221 clinical dental hygienist in Busan and Kyeongnam from April 1 to 30, 2014. The questionnaire consisted of structured questions including demographic characteristics(9 questions), vocational calling(9 questions), deontology(12 questions), asceticism(13 questions), and utilitarianism(8 questions). Questionnaire was carried out by Likert scale. Data were analyzed using the statistical package SPSS Window 19.0 for frequency, mean and standard deviation analysis, t-test, one-way ANOVA and linear regression. Results: There was a significantly positive correlation between professional vocation and ethical inclination. The deontology was associated with education, dental service career, duty hours, and number of clients in multivariate analysis after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and professional vocation. Asceticism was also correlated with education, and utilitarianism was closely associated with vocational calling, work place, number of clients, and monthly income. Conclusions: It is necessary to develop the curricula including vocational calling and ethical inclination in the dental hygiene education. The dental hygienists should learn the ethical and vocational calling as a professional career.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.479-490
• /
• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the actual condition of bullying in the workplace by dental hygienists and to determine whether workplace bullying affects job performance. Methods: Data were collected from 308 clinical dental hygienists working in dental medical institutions located in the whole country. Frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, t-test, and ANOVA were performed using SPSS 23.0 for analysis. Results: First, the main targets of bullying in the workplace were senior dental hygienists (53.6%) and dentists (24.7%). Second, the number of turnovers was a significant influence on bullying and job performance according to general characteristics. Finally, the 'improper work environment' among the subfactors of workplace bullying had a negative effect on 'job performance' (p<0.001). Conclusions: Based on the results of the study, we reviewed the actual condition of bullying in the workplace and whether bullying in the workplace affects job performance in the workforce problem of dental hygienists. In this regard, the importance of prevention of bullying in the workplace was discussed.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.14 no.5
• /
• pp.695-701
• /
• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the resilience and organizational commitment of dental hygienists for the improvement of organizational performance. Methods : A self-reported questionnaire was filled out by 323 dental hygienists from May 2 to June 5, 2014. The collected data were analyzed by a statistical package SPSS WIN 12.0. Results : The dental hygienists had the highest score in relationship(4.09), and had the lowest score in communicative competence(3.29). In organizational commitment, they had the highest score in affective commitment(3.20). There were statistically significant differences in that regard according to age(p<0.001), marital status(p<0.05) and career(p<0.001). The organizational commitment varied significantly with age(p<0.05) and career(p<0.01), and normative commitment significantly varied with the number of work days(p<0.05) and career(p<0.05). There was a significant correlation between the resilience and organizational commitment of the dental hygienists(p<0.001). Conclusions : The organizational commitment of the dental hygienists was better when they had a better resilience, and that resilience made a contribution to the improvement of organizational commitment in the clinical dental hygienists.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.495-508
• /
• 2007

This study, to investigate the state of PVW among the clinical dental hygienists and its determinants, has polled 322 clinical dental hygienists working in Daegu, Kyung buk province, and Ulsan. Data were collected by self-administrated questionnaire. A SPSS 12.0 for Windows was used for statistical analysis. The obtained results were as follows: 1. The average of PVW among the respondents was 3.43. 2. The area average of PVW determinants was as follows; job significance, 3.31, process efficiency, 3.42, product usefulness, 3.32, vision realizability, 3.53, social recognition, 3.23 and the total average, 3.36. 3. The married have higher PVW than the unmarried in all areas(p=.012, p=.008, p=.036, p=.007). 4. As for working experience, in the case of perceived self value, those having 1~2 years experience have the highest PVW(p=.000), apart from perceived self value, those having over 6 years experience have the highest PVW in all areas(p=.015, p=.001, p=.002). Relating to the task, those working in the patient consulting and managing part have the highest PVW, relating to the annual salary, those having over 25 million won have the highest PVW(p=.000, p=.000, p=.001, p=.000). 5. The relationship between PVW and PVW determinants, in all respects, is meaningful, so it was found that the higher determinants are, the higher PVW is. 6. The whole explanation variate of PVW determinants was meaningful in PVW, perceived self value, value fulfillment emotion, respectively representing 38.8%, 55.6%, 61.5%(pE.001). PVW of clinical dental hygienists should be considered as a significant criterion of indivisual and organizational effectiveness. To improve effectually PVW of the clinical dental hygienists, there is need to establish culture in a system of hospital that redound to their social recognition.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.615-624
• /
• 2019

Objectives: This study explored job satisfaction experience and meaning of work in dental hygienists. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 clinical dental hygienists who had been working in dental clinics for more than 10 years. The analysis method used was developed by Giorgi, including all four steps. Results: The results of the interview were categorized into five central meanings: recognition and trust (including patient's trust, trust in the boss, recognition in the hospital, and intimacy), growth (growth of the hospital, growth in jobs, and problem-solving skills), professional pride (self-esteem, extension of work and changes of awareness, and being able to help others), reward (financial compensation and psychological rewards), and meaning of life given by work (the process of maturing, self-representation, and vitality of life). Conclusions: Based on this study, we need to develop tools to measure dental hygienists' level of job satisfaction as well as follow-up research on ways to improve it.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.43-53
• /
• 2018

Objectives: The aims of this study were to analyze the job stress of clinical hygienists according to their positional system and to confirm its relevance. Methods: Seven hundred seventy six clinical dental hygienists participated in this survey. The questionnaire items consisted of general characteristics, working environment, and job stress. The data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS statistics ver.23.0 software. Results: Among the job stresses, the stress on the job demands was the highest with 63.4 points, and the stress on interpersonal conflict was the lowest with 34.6 points. The total score of job stress was the highest in the 26-30 year-old age group, and major stress factors in this group were job insecurity, organizational system, and lack of reward. Team members were more stressful about insufficient job control, organizational system, and lack of reward than team managers, while team managers were more likely to score interpersonal conflict. The dental hygienists in the hospitals that did not have the positional system got more stressed in the insufficient job control, organizational system, and lack of reward area. Conclusions: The presence of positional system was related to job demand, insufficient job control, organizational system, and lack of reward. Structural efforts such as establishing a proper positional system in dental clinics will be needed to control job stress in the clinical dental hygienists.