Biomaterial Database

Applied scope of practice of oral health therapists, dental hygienists and dental therapists. 2016

D N Teusner, and N Amarasena, and J Satur, and S Chrisopoulos, and D S Brennan

Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, School of Dentistry, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

Oral health therapists (OHTs) are an emerging workforce whose training incorporates the skills of dental hygienists (DHs) and dental therapists (DTs). There are concerns that OHTs are underutilized. This study compares the employment characteristics and applied practice scope of OHTs with those of DTs and DHs. Members of two professional associations representing DHs, DTs and OHTs, were surveyed by mail. Data collected included demographic and employment characteristics and clinical activity on a typical practice day. Applied practice scope was described by calculating the proportion of practitioners that had provided ≥1 of a selected range of key services. Log binomial regression was used to compare OHTs to DTs and DHs. The response rate was 60.6% (n = 1083) and of these 90.9% were employed. Preventive services dominated service provision. The proportion of OHTs that provided fluoride applications (77%) was higher than the proportion of DTs (53%, p < 0.05), and was not significantly different from the proportion of DHs (70%). The proportion of OHTs that provided (48%) fissure sealants was lower than the proportion of DTs (70%) and substantially higher than the proportion of DHs (10%, p > 0.05). Overall, the applied practice scope of OHTs appeared to differ from DTs and DHs.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011313	Preventive Dentistry	The branch of dentistry concerned with the prevention of disease and the maintenance and promotion of oral health.	Dentistries, Preventive,Dentistry, Preventive,Preventive Dentistries
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D003756	Dental Hygienists	Persons trained in an accredited school or dental college and licensed by the state in which they reside to provide dental prophylaxis under the direction of a licensed dentist.	Dental Hygienist,Hygienist, Dental,Hygienists, Dental
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D001315	Australia	The smallest continent and an independent country, comprising six states and two territories. Its capital is Canberra.	Canton and Enderbury Islands,Christmas Island,Christmas Island (Australia)
D019239	Practice Patterns, Dentists'	Patterns of practice in dentistry related to diagnosis and treatment.	Dental Practice Patterns,Dentist's Practice Patterns,Practice Patterns, Dental,Dental Practice Pattern,Pattern, Dental Practice,Patterns, Dental Practice,Practice Pattern, Dental,Dentist's Practice Pattern,Dentists' Practice Patterns,Practice Pattern, Dentist's,Practice Patterns, Dentist's