International employment in clinical practice: influencing factors for the dental hygienist.

PURPOSE: To assess demographics, job characteristics, geographical regions, resources and commitment, which influence dental hygienists seeking international clinical practice employment opportunities. METHODS: Questionnaires were mailed to a convenience sample of members of the Dental Hygienists' Association of the City of New York. Statistical analyses were conducted and frequency distributions and relationships between variables were calculated. RESULTS: Seventy-two percent of respondents reported that they are or may be interested in working overseas. Italy and Spain (67%) were the regions of most interest. Salary (65%) was cited as the most influencing factor in selection, whereas non-compliance with the equivalency to Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards (74%) was the most frequently perceived barrier. Multiple language fluency was statistically significant (0.003) regarding interest in overseas employment. CONCLUSION: Policy makers, employers and educators need to be aware of these findings should recruitment be a possibility to render urgently needed oral hygiene care in regions where there is a perceived shortage of dental hygienists.