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The purpose of this pilot study was to assess whether practicing with a cotton-tipped applicator as compared to a new training device had an effect on the anxiety levels of dental hygiene students prior to administering and receiving their first intraoral injection for local anesthesia. This pilot study used a convenience sample of senior dental hygiene students from an entry-level Bachelor degree dental hygiene program. Participants completed a pre-test survey after watching a video demonstrating the inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) injection technique to determine anxiety levels regarding administering and receiving an intraoral injection. Test and control groups were randomly assigned; and participants either received a dental syringe with an attached training needle device (test) or a cotton tip applicator (control). Both groups completed a post-test survey following a 15 minute practice session. Descriptive statistics were performed and Chi-square tests were used to determine significance. Pre-test results showed that 91% of the participants (n=23) reported having anxiety regarding administering or receiving an intraoral injection in one or multiple areas. Chi-square tests determined no statistical significance (p =0.125) between the test and control groups in the post-test surveys. Dental hygiene students demonstrated decreased anxiety levels regarding administering and receiving an intraoral injection regardless of the assigned practice device in this pilot study. While use of a training needle was not shown to be superior at reducing anxiety in novice student operators when compared to a cotton tipped applicator, it may be a useful device for teaching local anesthesia administration techniques.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of COVID-19 factors and psychological factors with psychological distress among dental staff during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 338 Israeli dentists and dental hygienists, who provided their demographic data; answered questions about COVID-19-related factors; and were assessed by subjective overload, self-efficacy, and psychological distress scales. Data were analyzed using a multivariate logistic regression. Results revealed that elevated psychological distress was found among those who have background illness, fear of contracting COVID-19 from patient, and a higher subjective overload. Lower psychological distress was associated with being in a committed relationship and having higher scores for self-efficacy. Given these results, gathered during times of an infectious disease outbreak, exploring psychological distress among dental staff is warranted as the effects may be long-term.

Background This study assessed job satisfaction and dissatisfaction among Pennsylvania dental hygienists using the validated Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) to identify key workplace factors associated with job satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and workforce instability. Methods A cross-sectional quantitative survey was distributed in 2024 to licensed dental hygienists in Pennsylvania using convenience sampling at two professional events. Participants completed the JSS, a 36-item instrument covering nine workplace domains, via an anonymous Qualtrics survey. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize overall satisfaction levels, and chi-squared tests to assess relationships between JSS responses and demographic variables such as years of experience and work setting. Results Of 342 responses, 328 met the inclusion criteria. Respondents were predominantly female (98.5%) and aged 55 and older (52.7%) and worked primarily in private dental practices (71.6%). Although the respondents reported high satisfaction with intrinsic motivators, such as pride in work (mean score = 5.31) and relationships with coworkers (mean = 5.06), they reported significant dissatisfaction with income (60.4% disagreed that they were fairly paid), promotional opportunities (87.1% agreed there was little chance for promotion), and organizational support. Frequency of raises and perceived inequity in benefits varied significantly among work settings, as did supervisory support and workplace conflict. Conclusion Despite high professional pride and collegiality, dissatisfaction with income, limited advancement, and administrative barriers may contribute to instability in the broader workforce. Addressing systemic dissatisfaction while reinforcing drivers of satisfaction may help sustain a resilient dental hygiene workforce and support access to care.

Dental professionals suffer from a high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). Dental hygienists in particular have a high prevalence of pain in the forearms and hands. The objective of this study was to compare 1 cordless handpiece to 2 corded handpieces during simulated tooth polishing in terms of the muscle loads (recorded as electromyography (EMG) activity), duration of polishing procedure, and dental hygienist opinion about ease of use. EMG was used to quantify muscle electrical activity of 4 forearm muscles during simulated dental polishing with 2 corded handpieces (HP-A and HP-B) and 1 cordless handpiece (HP-C). A convenience sample of 30 dental hygienists (23 to 57 years of age) with 1 to 20+ years of clinical practice experience completed the study. Each participant spent approximately 5 minutes polishing 3 predetermined teeth in each of the 4 quadrants. The sequence of the handpieces was randomly assigned. At the end of the study, participants completed a subjective end user evaluation of handpiece preference. Muscle activity levels of 10th, 50th and 90th percentiles did not differ significantly between the 3 handpieces tested (p>0.05). However, total muscle workload (integrated EMG) was lowest for the cordless handpiece (HP-C), but this was only significantly less than HP-A (p<0.05). Polishing using the cordless handpiece (HP-C) (M=257 seconds, SD=112 seconds) took significantly less time than either the HP-A corded (M=290 seconds, SD=137 seconds) or HP-B corded handpiece (M=290 seconds, SD=126 seconds) (p<0.05). Overall, 50% of the study participants preferred the cordless handpiece, 37% preferred HP-A and 13% preferred HP-B (p<0.05). Use of the cordless handpiece reduced the duration of polishing, which in turn led to less total muscle activity, but not muscle intensity. Overall, dental hygienists preferred the cordless handpiece.

There is high risk of contamination with COVID-19 virus during routine dental procedures and infection control is crucial. The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with Covid-19 preventive behaviors among oral health care providers using an extended parallel process model (EPPM). In a cross-sectional study, short text message invite surveys were sent to 870 oral health care providers in west part of Iran. Data were collected through validated self-report EPPM questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square and Fishers exact tests were used for data analysis. In total, 300 completed questionnaires were received and the mean age of respondents was 29.89 ± 11.17 years (range: 20-75 years). Among the study population, 284 (94.67%) perceived the threat of infection highly. Washing hands frequently with water and soap and use of hand sanitizer was reported by 93.33%, of participants. Age (P = 0.010), sex (P = 0.002) and occupation field (P = 0.010) were significantly associated with danger control responses. Data identified that those oral health care providers that were on the danger control response adopted preventive behaviors more strictly than those on fear control response. The results of this study showed how degrees of perceived threat and perceived efficacy influenced oral health providers' willingness to perform recommended health behaviors. These findings can assist public health agencies in developing educational programs specifically designed for promoting preventive behaviors among oral health providers in pandemic situations.

Dental hygienists report a lack of confidence in initiating Tobacco Dependence Counseling (TDC) with their patients who smoke. The purpose of this study was to determine if the confidence of dental hygiene students in providing TDC can be increased by Standardized Patient (SP) training, and if that confidence can be sustained over time. This 2-parallel group randomized design was used to compare the confidence of students receiving SP training to stu dents with no SP training. After a classroom lecture, all subjects (n=27) received a baseline test of knowledge and confidence. Subjects were randomly assigned to test and control groups with equivalent mean knowledge scores. The test group subjects participated in a SP TDC session. Both groups gained parallel experience to treating patients who were smokers and giving TDC in clinical scenarios during the 6 month time period. One week end-training and 6 month post-training assessments were administered to both groups. ANCOVA compared mean confidence scores. End-training scores at 1 week showed a statistically significant increase (p=0.002) in overall mean confidence following SP training for individuals in the test group. The 6 month follow-up test results showed a slight decline in confidence scores among subjects in the test group and an overall gain in confidence for control group participants. However, overall confidence scores were comparable for the groups. SP training improved dental hygiene students' initial confidence in providing TDC and was sustained, but not to a significant degree. Clinical experience alone increased confidence. Further studies may help determine how the initial confidence gained by SP training can be sustained and what the role of clinical experience plays in overall confidence in providing TDC.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in health professions education, yet little is known about dental hygiene students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to AI. The purpose of this descriptive, cross-sectional program-based evaluation was to gather student input on knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to AI to guide curriculum integration planning. A 38-item questionnaire was administered to 120 dental hygiene students across five different cohorts at a single institution. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze responses, with significance set at <0.05. All students (N=120) completed the survey. mean knowledge score was 64.5% ± 1.39 with the highest mean observed among the most senior students (69% ± 1.3). Knowledge was strongest in machine learning approaches and in understanding AI's nature and limitations, and weakest in clinical application. Nearly 90% agreed that ethical concerns about AI deserve greater attention, while 19% felt comfortable with AI independently evaluating a patient's oral health. In practice, most reported using AI tools for academic learning such as summarizing course material (71%), whereas fewer used AI for creative applications such as image generation (23%). One-way ANOVA comparisons found no significant difference between cohorts in the knowledge domain ( > 0.05). Cohorts differed significantly in their attitudes about using AI responsibly in the clinical setting as well as their use of AI to study for tests and prepare study aids ( <0.05). Students exhibited a basic understanding of AI but lacked depth in areas related to regulation and data quality. Attitudes were positive toward responsibility and ethics yet concerns about AI's impact on clinical judgment and patient care were observed. In practice, AI was used primarily for academic learning, less for creative tasks. Findings underscored the need for curricular strategies that ensure all students receive consistent preparation in ethical, practical, and responsible AI use.

Microaggressions are described as brief routine verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities that convey hostile, derogatory, or negative attitudes and may be intentional or unintentional. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how dental hygienists who identified as members of racial/ethnic minority groups experience microaggressions in dental workplace settings. A qualitative phenomenological research design was used with a purposive sample of 14 dental hygienists who identified as racial or ethnic minorities recruited via social media and snowball sampling. Data was collected through virtual focus groups with the use of deductive analysis based on the sub-scales of the Racial and Ethnic Microaggression Scale to identify themes followed by inductive analysis. Five themes emerged from the focus groups that included , and Participants reported instances of being considered less competent or less well educated by employers and/or patients because of their race or ethnicity. Workplace microaggressions ranged from lack of promotion to being fired. Participants expressed a range of emotions from being angry to being ambivalent in response to the microaggression. Dental hygienists who identify as racial or ethnic minorities frequently experience microaggressions in the clinical work setting. Most participants reported being considered inferior due to their race or ethnicity along with a variety of workplace microaggressions. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions to mitigate microaggressions with ongoing education about recognition and response to microaggression to ensure an inclusive and welcoming work environment. It is critical to address microaggression to recruit and retain a diverse workforce.

Health care workers have been shown to experience a decline in mental health and psychological well-being due to work-related factors. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between demographic and work variables, psychological resilience, emotional labor, and employee well-being among clinical dental hygienists. A cross-sectional survey research design was used with a non-probability sample of clinical dental hygienists (n=411) using validated instruments including: the Emotional Labour Scale, Resilience Evaluation Scale and Employee Well-Being Scale. Participants were recruited on dental hygiene social media sites. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the results. The completion rate was 78% (n=322). The regression model for life well-being (LWB) was statistically significant (adjusted R2=.287, <.001). The predictor that increased LWB was self-confidence (β=.403) while predictors of decreased LWB included surface acting (β=-.246), and hours worked (β=-.179, <.001). The regression model for workplace well-being (WWB) was statistically significant (adjusted R2=.262, <.001). Positive predictors of increased WWB included self-confidence (β=.353, <.001), deep acting (β=.130, =.007), age (β=.105, <.034) while surface acting (β=-.252, <.001) predicted lower WWB. The regression model for psychological well-being (PWB) was statistically significant (adjusted R2=.398, <.001). Predictors that increased PWB included self-confidence (β=.352, <.001), self-efficacy (β=.217, < .001), deep acting (β=.162, <.001), and frequency (β=.098, <.035), while surface acting (β=-.193, <.001) predicted lower PWB. Dental hygienists displayed high levels of psychological resilience. However, hours worked and the factors impacting emotional labor, such as deep acting and surface acting, negatively impacted employee well-being. More research is needed to investigate strategies for managing emotional labor among dental hygienists.

The impact of COVID-19 on socio-economical activities has changed everyday life. Dental hygienists, who perform aerosol generating procedures, have been strongly affected by changes in routine procedures. This cross-sectional study aimed at carrying out an online survey among dental hygienists in Lombardy. The survey was implemented after the first-wave lockdown focusing on the level of knowledge on COVID-19 and Sars-CoV-2, the virus-related changes in their attitude and working routine, and the socio-economic effects. In this report, we included 313 questionnaires of respondents (259 Females, and 54 Males; age = 33 ± 9 years). A significant percentage of respondents acknowledged the use of “word of mouth” among colleagues (n = 114, 36%) and social networks (n = 113, 36%) to be up to date on COVID-19. About half of respondents correctly identified the main COVID-19 symptoms/signs, just 13% (n = 41) identified the routes of transmission. Three quarters of respondents (n = 234, 75%) were afraid of being infected during the clinical practice, and about half of them would be afraid to treat patients having symptoms attributable to COVID-19. Twenty-one percent (n = 67) of participants also thought about changing job. Air-polishing was identified as the highest risk procedure, and 82% (n = 256) reported that they eliminated its use. Most claimed they never had a swab or a serological test, with two respondents positive to molecular test (0.6%), and 12 positives to serological test (3.8%). More than half of the participants (65%; n = 202) complained the dental hygienist is not protected, despite a loss of earnings due to lockdown between 2,000 and 10,000 euros. This study demonstrated that dental hygienists were emotionally and economically affected by the pandemic, significantly changing their work routine. Anti-epidemic protocols are pivotal to react promptly and to contain the virus in the dental setting.