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A distinct body of literature supports the association between clinical postures of the dental practitioner and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMD). Several aids or devices have been tested to improve clinical posture in the interest of decreasing WRMD. The use of magnification lenses while performing dental procedures may increase the quality of work and decrease the likelihood of musculoskeletal problems. To date, only anecdotal and personal opinions had existed regarding the benefits of using magnification lenses, and no empirical evidence had authenticated the contention that use of magnification lenses exerts a positive change in operator posture. The objective of this study was to assess the effect magnification lenses had on the posture of dental hygiene students. Using a randomized crossover design, researchers videotaped nineteen senior dental hygiene students performing an intra-oral procedure with and without the use of magnification lenses. The tapes were then evaluated by a panel of five dental hygiene educators calibrated in the use of Branson's Posture Assessment Instrument (PAI). Results of a paired t-test indicate that the posture of the students while wearing magnification lenses was more acceptable (p=.019) than when wearing traditional safety glasses. Results of this study indicate a quantifiable change in acceptability of posture for clinicians wearing magnification lenses and suggest that the use of such lenses in dental education may be warranted.

African American, Hispanic/Latina, and American Indian/Alaska Native persons are markedly underrepresented racial and ethnic groups (UREG) in the dental hygiene profession. The purpose of this study was to survey UREG dental hygiene students to determine their perceptions of the barriers and facilitators that influenced their decision to enter the dental hygiene profession. Participants were eighty-four UREG students attending entry-level dental hygiene programs across the state of California. We conducted face-to-face interviews using a survey guide that consisted of forty-two mostly closed-ended questions. Most (57 percent) participants reported that they had either perceived or experienced barriers: primarily costs associated with the program and the lack of role models in their race/ethnicity. Almost all participants reported that there had been a person, mainly a dental professional, who influenced them to become a dental hygienist; 62 percent of these individuals were reported to be from a similar UREG group as the participant. Funding (57 percent) and emotional support from family and friends (87 percent) were the predominant facilitators employed by the participants to overcome barriers. Based on these results, we recommend three strat-egies to recruit more UREG students into the dental hygiene profession: more extensive outreach programs, enhanced mentoring by UREG dental professionals, and a modified admission process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to compare the educational and career pathways of graduates from associate degree (A.S./A.A.) and baccalaureate degree (B.S./B.A.) entry-level dental hygiene (DH) programs. A thirty-item, closed- ended questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 1,352 dental hygienists who were educated and licensed in California between 1990 and 2000. The response rate was 76 percent. Approximately half of the respondents had a degree prior to entering the DH program, and the elapsed time between degrees was greater for A.S./A.A. graduates (p=0.05). More B.S./B.A. graduates had earned or were seeking master's and other more advanced degrees: 11.9 percent versus 4.3 percent. Graduates from both types of programs were involved in professional and community organizations and held leadership positions. Most were currently practicing in the traditional clinical setting, with means of 3.6 and 3.3 days/week for the A.S./A.A. and B.S./B.A. graduates, respectively (p<0.05). More B.S./B.A. graduates held DH faculty positions (30.3 percent versus 4.3 percent, p<0.05) and other non-DH teaching positions (14.9 percent versus 8.6 percent, p<0.05) and had greater involvement with research (8.0 percent versus 3.6 percent, p<0.05). The two groups did not differ in regard to other dental and DH-related positions. In conclusion, graduates from B.S./B.A. programs are more likely to have positions in nontraditional settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chair-side work posture of dental hygienists has long been a concern because of health-related problems potentially caused or exacerbated by poor posture. The purpose of this study was to investigate if using magnification loupes improved dental hygiene students' posture during provision of treatment. The treatment chosen was hand-scaling, and the effect of the timing of introduction of the loupes to students was also examined. Thirty-five novice dental hygiene students took part in the study. Each student was assessed providing dental hygiene care with and without loupes, thus controlling for innate differences in natural posture. Students were randomized into two groups. Group one used loupes in the first session and did not use them for the second session. Group two reversed this sequence. At the end of each session, all students were videotaped while performing scaling procedures. Their posture was assessed using an adapted version of Branson et al.'s Posture Assessment Instrument (PAI). Four raters assessed students at three time periods for nine posture components on the PAI. A paired t-test compared scores with and without loupes for each student. Scores showed a significant improvement in posture when using loupes (p<0.0001), and these improvements were significantly more pronounced for students starting loupes immediately on entering the program compared with students who delayed until the second session (p<0.1). These results suggest a significant postural benefit is realized by requiring students to master the use of magnification loupes as early as possible within the curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allied dental program directors have expressed increasing concerns about possible current and future shortages of allied dental educators. As a result, the ADEA Board of Directors created a task force to investigate the current status of allied dental faculty, including the degree of cultural diversity, and to identify whether current and/or potential future shortages of educators exist. A survey was sent to all accredited allied dental program directors. Results indicated that a current faculty shortage exists for dental assisting and dental hygiene programs, with a projected greater future shortage for all allied dental education disciplines, primarily as a result of retirement of current faculty members. The data collected also revealed a lack of diversity in allied dental faculties, especially in dental hygiene and dental assisting programs. Recommendations for action steps included investigating: 1) the use of technology to provide the faculty expertise necessary to allow more affordable quality education in almost any location and to maximize available resources; 2) alternative ways to reward faculty; 3) loan forgiveness as an incentive for exemplary graduates to pursue educational career goals; 4) an ongoing database to monitor the status of allied dental educators; and 5) best practices in higher education to attract a more diverse student body and faculty in terms of gender, ethnicity, and race. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]