Dentistry Commons^™

Attitudes Of Virginia Dental Hygienists Toward Dental Therapists, Helene Mesina Burns

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Problem: The purpose of this study was to determine the opinions and attitudes of Virginia dental hygienists toward dental therapists (DTs) and to determine if current education level and years of practice affected opinions regarding education requirements for DTs. Methods: After IRB approval, a 22-item questionnaire was distributed online to a convenience sample of 910 Virginia dental hygienists. Questions assessed attitudes of participants toward the DT using a seven-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Additionally, participants were asked to respond to demographic questions and open-ended questions about potential advantages and/or disadvantages to DTs. Independent …

Predictors Of Dental Students’ Behavioral Intention Use Of Teledentistry: An Application Of The Unified Theory Of Acceptance And Use Of Technology (Utaut) Model, Jafar Hassan Alabdullah

Health Services Research Dissertations

Shortages of dental professionals and access barriers to dental care are challenges to improving oral health and decreasing the burden of dental diseases. There are more than 57 million individuals in the U.S. who live in dental health professional shortage areas (DHPSA). The U.S. DHPSA areas need 9,951 dental practitioners to overcome the obstacles to oral care access. Due to dental care needs for these populations, it is imperative to find a new method to reach these underserved populations. Teledentistry is an innovative technology that can be used to improve access to care and oral health outcomes. Unfortunately, there is …

Attitudes Of Virginia Dentists Toward Dental Therapists, Adaira Latrece Howell

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine perceptions of Virginia (VA) dentists toward Mid-Level Dental Providers, specifically dental therapists (DT), and determine if American Dental Association (ADA) membership affected attitudes. Methods: After IRB approval, data was collected with an online survey sent to 1208 VA dentists. Participants responded to 11 Likert type scale questions ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) assessing their attitudes toward DTs. Participants also responded to questions regarding the appropriate level of education and supervision of a DT, as well as five demographic questions. Two multiple linear regression models were used to …

Maintaining Effective Infection Control Protocol, Lauren Eusner, Kimberly Lintag

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

The safety of clinicians and patients in the dental office rests on adherence to evidence-based infection control standards.

Sexual Harassment Issues Among Dental Hygienists, Amber W. Hunt, Brenda T. Bradshaw, Susan Lynn Tolle

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: The "#MeToo" movement has increased awareness of sexual harassment in the workplace and its detrimental effects on the work environment. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of sexual harassment in a convenience sample of dental hygienists in the state of Virginia (VA).

Methods: A cross-sectional research design was used to determine the experiences of VA dental hygienists with sexual harassment in the workplace occurring over the previous twenty-four months. The revised Sexual Experiences Questionnaire (SEQ-W) measured three constructs: gender harassment, unwanted sexual attention, and sexual coercion and was administered electronically to a convenience sample of …

Innovative Collaborative Service-Learning Experience Among Dental Hygiene And Nurse Practitioner Students: A Pediatric Oral Health Pilot Study, Denise M. Claiborne, Rebecca Poston, Ahlam Joufi

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: Preventive oral health behaviors are essential for children during early stages of development. The purpose of this study was to pilot an innovative, collaborative service-learning (ICSL) experience for dental hygiene (DH) and primary care nurse practitioner (NP) students to address pediatric oral health.

Methods: A convenience sample of DH and NP students (n=12) participated in the development, planning and delivery of an ICSL activity focusing on pediatric oral health to 44 pre-school aged children. A learning management system was used for the communicating, planning and evaluating the ICSL activity. The interprofessional socialization of the participants was measured using the …

Application Of The Unified Theory Of Acceptance And Use Of Technology Model To Predict Dental Students' Behavioral Intention To Use Teledentistry, Jafar H. Alabdullah, Bonnie L. Van Lunen, Denise M. Claiborne, Susan J. Daniel, Cherng-Jyh Yen, Tina S. Gustin

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Abstract

Teledentistry is an innovative technology that can be used to improve access to care and oral health outcomes. Dental students’ intention to use teledentistry after completing dental school has not been investigated.

Purpose

The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) was used to predict intentions to use teledentistry among 4th-year U.S. dental students. Methods A cross-sectional approach was performed for a 7-week period in Spring 2019. All U.S. dental schools (N = 66) were invited to participate and 16 schools agreed to participate. An anonymous survey link was emailed to academic deans for dissemination to students. …

The Additive Effects Of Cell Phone Use And Dental Hygiene Practice On Finger Muscle Strength: A Pilot Study, Jessica R. Suedbeck, Cortney N. Armitano-Lago, Emily A. Ludwig

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine strength of muscles involved with instrumentation (scaling) by dental hygienists and the additive effects of cellular (mobile) phone usage, as indicated by measurements of muscular force generation.

Methods: A convenience sample of licensed dental hygienists currently in clinical practice (n=16) and an equal number of individuals not currently using devices/tools repetitively for work (n=16), agreed to participate in this pilot study. All participants completed a modified cell phone usage questionnaire to determine their use pattern and frequency. Upon completion of the questionnaire, participants' force production in six muscle groups was measured …

Postmortem Dental Records Identification By Dental Hygiene Students: A Pilot Study, Brenda T. Bradshaw, Ann M. Bruhn, Tara L. Newcomb, Hadiza Galadima

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: Dental hygienists have the potential for filling critical roles in multidisciplinary victim identification teams. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the accuracy of dental hygiene students utilizing dental charting, bitewings, and skull dentitions for the purpose of making identification matches.

Methods: Thirty senior dental hygiene students (n=30) independently viewed an asynchronous online multimedia-based presentation on the procedures used for collecting and recording forensic dental evidence. Following the presentation participants attempted to chart and match three bitewing radiograph sets to three human skull dentitions by correlating matches/exclusions. Immediately following the activity, each student completed a questionnaire rating …

Strategies For Safe And Effective Treatment Of Patients With Alzheimer Disease, Jafar Alabdullah, Ahmed Almuntashiri

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Alzheimer disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that causes cognition impairment and memory loss, affecting activities in daily living. In the United States, an estimated 4.5 million people have AD and this figure is expected to reach 14 million by 2050. Because patients with AD experience a deterioration of their mental functions, patients need more help with their activities of daily living, including oral hygiene, as their AD progresses. Studies have found that individuals with AD often experience poor oral health. As advanced age is a risk factor for AD and the number of older adults in the US continues …