The impact of COVID-19 on the dental hygienists: A cross-sectional study in the Lombardy first-wave outbreak.

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.

President's Message.

This is the last Editorial for me as President of IFDH. It has been an unforgettable time during the last 6 years on the Board and I am very grateful for all the support from colleagues around the world and from my Executive team. Corrie Jongbloed, our President Elect from the Netherlands will be assuming the role and I wish her the very best in her future endeavour.I recently read an article "The 100-year evolution of the science and practice of dental hygiene"1 which caused me to investigate and reflect on where our profession has come from and what will be the future. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Preparing the Future Dental Hygiene Workforce: Knowledge, Skills, and Reform.

With the health care delivery system in transition, the way in which oral health care services are delivered in 2040 will inevitably change. To achieve the aims of reduced cost, improved access, and higher quality and to advance population wellness, oral health care will likely become a more integrated part of medical care. An integrated primary care system would better meet the needs of an increasingly diverse and aging U.S. population with uneven access to health care services. By 2040, trends suggest that a smaller proportion of dental hygienists will work in traditional solo dental offices; many more will practice with multidisciplinary health care teams in large-group dental and medical practices and in a variety of non-traditional community settings. This integration will require changes in how dental hygienists are educated. To shape the skill sets, clinical judgment, and knowledge of future practitioners, current dental hygiene curricula must be reexamined, redirected, and enhanced. This article examines some of the factors that are likely to shape the future of dental hygiene practice, considers the strengths and weaknesses of current curricula, and proposes educational changes to prepare dental hygienists for practice in 2040. This article was written as part of the project "Advancing Dental Education in the 21st Century."

The American Dental Hygienists' Association Leads the Profession into 21st Century Workforce Opportunities.

UNLABELLED: With the dental hygiene profession undergoing tremendous transformation as greater and more diverse workplace opportunities present themselves, the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) is leading the effort to ensure that dental hygienists are prepared to take advantage of these growing opportunities in today's constantly evolving health care landscape. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: ADHA's vision statement calls for the integration of dental hygienists into the health care delivery system as essential primary care providers to expand access to oral health care. This article discusses changes in dental hygiene curriculum, as well as how changes in the health care environment and legislative outcomes are impacting workplace opportunities for dental hygienists in the 21st century. METHOD: Research from ADHA's Transforming Dental Hygiene Education and the Profession for the 21st Century white paper and other oral health-related literature, ADHA policies, and ADHA survey research describe the evolving dental hygiene workplace environment. The article discusses trends in education, health care, legislative and regulatory practice, and societal need that are creating new workforce opportunities for the dental hygiene profession. CONCLUSION: With rapid change in both the oral and overall health care environments, transformation in dental hygiene curriculum and competencies, and more states allowing the public to have direct access to dental hygienists, dental hygiene professionals are expanding their presence into all aspects of the health care system. ADHA is leading this effort to help dental hygienists provide that care by expanding workforce opportunities and allowing dental hygienists to practice to the full extent of their scope. The dental hygiene profession must be prepared and ready to embrace these opportunities. In doing so, new career pathways will be available for dental hygiene professionals that will also improve the public's access to oral health care.

California's Clinical Dental Team: Evolving Together With an Eye to the Future.

California dentists enjoy some of the most well-trained clinical teams in the country. In these changing times, reflecting on our collective history may help inform collaboration and innovation that will serve us well as we create new ways to care for our patients and thrive in our professional lives.

Technology is a critical game changer to the practice of dental hygiene.

Dental hygienists will need to embrace 21st century technology to adapt to workplace settings. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To stay relevant in the workforce, dental hygienists need mastery of new skills and technologies. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the vast array of technological advances impacting dental practice and the consequent implications for oral health care providers. CRITICAL ANALYSIS: New technologies have provided unparalleled opportunities for degree and career advancement for dental hygienists. Advances in science and technology are providing patients with better quality and more convenient oral health care. Dental hygienists need technological skills that enable them to fully utilize technology as a strategy for consultation with dentists and other health care professionals and for other purposes. Continuing education and life-long learning factor into preparing dental hygienists for 21st century technologies. CONCLUSION: With technological advances, less adaptive professionals could potentially see a decrease in demand for their services. Possessing a high level of knowledge of dentistry and dental hygiene does not ensure a position in the workforce. Knowledge of technologies and associated skills are required for quality patient care and career and personal growth.

The intersection of education and technology at the century mark.

Since the inception of dental hygiene in 1913, we have witnessed the tremendous evolution of the profession. Within the past couple two decades a significant game changer has been technology. The ability to expand access to education through technology has resulted in an increasing number of dental hygienists seeking advanced degrees and gaining new skills and certifications. The evidence shows that dental hygienists are using their advanced education to address lack of access to oral health care services. The profession should remain focused on advocating for the increased education of the dental hygienist, by finding solutions to barriers that presently prevent the realization of this ultimate advancement.

Envisioning an oral healthcare workforce for the future.

Health is critical to human well-being. Oral health is an integral component of health. One is not healthy without oral health. As health is essential to human flourishing, it is important that an oral healthcare delivery system and workforce be developed and deployed which can help ensure all citizens have the potential to access oral health care. As such access does not generally exist today, it is imperative to advance the realization of this goal and to develop a vision of an oral healthcare workforce to functionally support access. Public funding of basic oral health care is an important element to improving access. However, funding is only economically feasible if a workforce exists that is structured in a manner such that duties are assigned to individuals who have been uniquely trained to fulfill specific clinical responsibilities. An essential element of any cost-effective organizational system must be the shared responsibility of duties. Delegation must occur in the oral health workforce if competent, cost-effective care is to be provided. Desirable members of the oral health team in an efficient and effective system are as follows: generalist dentists who are educated as physicians of the stomatognathic system (oral physicians), specialist dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, dually trained hygienists/therapists (oral health therapists), oral prosthetists (denturists), and expanded function dental assistants (dental nurses).

Looking at the past to see the future: the role of the dental hygienist in collaborating with dentists to expand and improve oral health care.

As dental hygiene approaches its 100th anniversary in 2013, it is clear that the profession has evolved far beyond the initial vision of Dr. Alfred Fones. Much of this evolution has been driven by changing oral health needs of the public as well as the way dentists practice, based on innovations in dentistry, to concentrate on more advanced procedures and delegate other duties to the dental hygienist. By and large, these changes have been achieved by dentists, dental hygienists, and other team members working together. We have an opportunity to overcome initial resistance and, based upon evidence of successful outcomes, further extend the reach of the dental team for the benefit of patients, especially the most vulnerable among them.

The past and future evolution of the dental workforce team.

This article looks at changes in the number and mix of providers in the dental workforce over the past sixty years. First, enrollment trends in dental education programs are investigated. These educational programs feed directly into the dental workforce. Then, the changes in the dental workforce are examined. The focus of this investigation is the composition of the dental workforce and how the components of the workforce have changed over time. The forces that are responsible for these changes in the workforce are explored next. Finally, the possibility for workforce changes in the future is considered.

A pilot study: are dental hygienists in Texas ready for the elderly population explosion?

PURPOSE: At the beginning of the 20th century, people 65 and older comprised 4.1% of the population. By the year 2030, it is estimated that people 65 and older, the 'Baby Boomer' generation, will comprise more than 20% of the population. This will have a profound effect on the practice of dentistry and on society as a whole. The purpose of this study was to determine whether dental hygienists in Texas felt prepared and willing to treat the elderly in alternative practice settings such as nursing homes. METHODS: After institutional review board approval, a questionnaire was mailed to 500 hygienists. A 5% systematic sample of dental hygiene graduates was taken from four dental hygiene schools in Texas, United States of America (USA). Of these, 175 were returned for a 35% response rate. Questions asked were degree held, how prepared the participants felt to treat the special needs of the elderly, if participants were willing to work in alternative practice settings such as a nursing home and if they felt additional education was needed. Frequency distributions, correlations and chi square were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Results revealed 86.5% of the respondents felt prepared to somewhat prepared to treat the special needs of the elderly based on education; equally, 86.5% felt more education was needed to better prepare them to treat the elderly. Over half of the respondents would not be willing to work in alternative practice settings such as nursing homes. CONCLUSION: The average respondents do not feel fully prepared to treat the elderly with special needs, and they think more education is needed to better prepare them to treat this important target population.