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Purpose: Vaccinations represent an important public health tool for mitigating dangerous diseases; nevertheless, there is concern and hesitancy regarding vaccinations including those for COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to determine the intentions and hesitancy among dental hygienists in the United States (US) toward COVID-19 vaccination. Methods: Dental hygienists in the US were surveyed from 1/4/21 to 8/16/21 regarding their intentions to get vaccinated and whether they received a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccination questions were part of an anonymous, ongoing longitudinal web-based survey of dental hygienists' employment and infection control trends. Willingness or actual COVID-19 vaccination versus vaccine hesitancy were analyzed by differences in demographic characteristics using multivariable logistic regression and X² and Fisher's exact tests. Results: Full COVID-19 vaccination rates in US dental hygienists rose sharply from 2/5/21 to 3/5/21 (26.0% to 53.9%) and leveled off to 75.4% by 8/30/21. The highest rates of vaccine hesitancy were among dental hygienists aged 26-39 years and those who had contracted COVID-19 during the time of the survey. The lowest vaccination hesitancy rates were seen among Non-Hispanic Asians and individuals 65+. When controlling for age, race/ethnicity, and years practiced, dental hygienists who had contracted COVID-19 had higher odds of being vaccine hesitant (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR): 1.847, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.274, 2.678). Having contracted COVID-19 was also associated with respondents changing from being hesitant to be vaccinated to being willing to be vaccinated (aOR: 4.071, 95% CI: 1.652, 10.030). Conclusion: Although vaccine acceptance is high among dental hygienists in the US, vaccine hesitancy remains an ongoing concern. Dental hygienists are key prevention specialists who should promote adherence to vaccination recommendations for the health of the public. Further education in virology, epidemiology, and vaccination education is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A total of 40 states to date have expanded the role of dental hygienists with the goal of improving access to basic oral health services for underserved populations. In Kansas, legislative changes have resulted in the Extended Care Permit (ECP) designation. The purpose of this study is to describe the experiences of registered dental hygienists in Kansas holding ECP certificates (ECP RDH) as of July of 2014. Methods: Secondary data analysis was performed utilizing data collected from a survey conducted in 2014 by Oral Health Kansas. All registered ECP RDH's were sent the 32-item survey via Survey Monkey®. Descriptive statistical analyses consisted of frequency distributions, and measures of central tendency. Inferential analyses using t-tests and ANOVA were conducted to compare groups. Results: A total of 73 responses were received from the (n= 176) surveys that were e-mailed for a 41% response rate. Of the clinicians who responded, 80%, worked at least part-time and in school settings. The most consistent barriers to providing care were the inability to directly bill insurance (52%), financial sustainability (42%) and physical requirements (42%). Follow-up tests found significant differences between clinician groups when examining barriers. Conclusion: Although the ECP legislation appears to be expanding access to care for citizens in Kansas, significant barriers still exist in making this a viable model for oral healthcare delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In 2003, Kansas addressed their access to oral health care needs with amended state dental practice act for registered dental hygienists. The Extended Care Permits (ECP) I, II and III have expanded the dental hygiene scope of practice, allowing dental hygienists to provide oral care to Kansans in different settings beyond the dental office. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of Kansas ECP dental hygienists on change to oral care in Kansas. Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to all ECP dental hygienists (n=158) registered with the Kansas Dental Board. Questions were open-ended, close-ended and Likert scale. Information was sought regarding demographics, areas of employment, work related activities and impact to oral health care. Study exclusions included ECP providers no longer practicing in Kansas, practice more than 50% in another state or no longer practice dental hygiene at all. Results: A total of 69 surveys were returned,with 9 surveys excluded for exclusion criteria. Most respondents (92%) agreed the ECP is a solution to oral health care access issues in Kansas. Barriers to utilizing their permits fully included: difficulty locating a sponsoring dentist (12%), locating start up finances (22%), limited work space (14%) and difficulty with facility administrators (39%). Many respondents (62%) agreed the proposed registered dental practitioner would improve access to oral health care to Kansans. Conclusion: The Extended Care Permit providers in Kansas appear to be satisfied with their current employment situations and feel oral health care has improved for their patients served but they are unable to utilize their permits fully for various reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Currently, 37 states allow some type of alternative practice settings for dental hygienists. This qualitative study was designed to explore the experiences of the Extended Care Permit (ECP) dental hygienist in the state of Kansas. As a first ever study of this workforce model, a qualitative research design was chosen to illuminate the education and experiences of extended dental hygiene practitioners in order to understand the impact ECP legislation has had on increasing the public's access to oral health care services and define the advantages and limitation of this model as one potential solution to access to oral care. Snowball sampling was used to identify study participants who were actively engaged in extended care practice. Nine subjects, which included one ECP consultant and eight ECP providers, participated in this study. Data obtained via personal interviews and through document analysis data were subsequently coded and thematically analyzed by three examiners. An independent audit was conducted by a fourth examiner to confirm dependability of results. Seven major categories emerged from the data analysis: entrepreneur dental hygienist, partnerships, funding, barriers, sustainability, models of care and the impact of the ECP. The findings of this study revealed that ECP hygienists are making an impact with underserved populations, primarily children, the elderly and special needs patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]