Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Health of Hygienists in Lithuania.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the perceived musculoskeletal and psychological symptoms and job satisfaction of Lithuanian dental hygienists. Second, the study aimed to examine the relationships between job satisfaction and musculoskeletal and psychological symptoms amongst dental hygienists in Lithuania. METHODS: A 41-item survey was sent by email to all members of the Lithuanian Dental Hygienists Association (N = 328) up to 3 times. The questionnaire comprised 5-point Likert scale structured questions, which were developed according to 3 existing questionnaires. RESULTS: The final response rate was 52.4% (N = 172). The level of overall work-related physical health was 3.76 ± 0.65, and the most common physical health symptom was upper back pain; the level of overall work-related psychological health was 3.84 ± 0.64, and the most common symptom was stress. The level of overall job satisfaction was 3.87 ± 0.62, and the most satisfying areas were their relationships with colleagues, relationships with dentists, and working conditions (equipment, work environment); the least satisfying practice areas were income, work-related physical and psychological health, and social security. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of this study, Lithuanian dental hygienists were quite satisfied with their job but sometimes experienced work-related musculoskeletal and psychological disorders. Their physical health score and the total psychological health score were significantly correlated with all job satisfaction criteria. The better the self-evaluation of physical and psychological health, the higher the job satisfaction reported.

Practice characteristics and views of dental hygienists in Lithuania.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the employment possibilities of Lithuanian dental hygienists. METHODS: The questionnaire asked about the demographics of dental hygienists, characteristics of practice, patient load, career intentions, opinion about dental hygienists workforce and the need of governmental workforce regulation. The study consisted of all licensed dental hygienists in Lithuania in 2018 (N = 1109). RESULTS: The final response rate was 52.1% (n = 578), 64% (n = 370) of respondents lived in the country's five main cities, and 73.5% (n = 425) worked in these population centres, with 94.3% (n = 545) worked in private sector. Over two-thirds of respondents said there was an excess of dental hygienists in Lithuania. Nearly 80% "always" or "sometimes" reported that they had insufficient patients, which may account for the prevalence of supplementary work (48.4%, n = 280), that is work as a dental assistant (67.9%, n = 190). Data obtained show that dental hygienists with less than ten years' experience were likely to work as a dental assistant (P < .05). Notwithstanding, 73.9% (n = 428) of the dental hygienists reported that they only want to practice their profession. Most (83.4%, n = 483) struggled to find dental hygienist work, and 70.5% (n = 408) wanted regulation of number of dental hygienists at a national level. CONCLUSIONS: The respondents suggested there is (a) a lack of dental hygiene patients, (b) available workload for additional preventive dental hygiene services, (c) pressure to search for additional work, usually as a dental assistant. Governmental support to optimally regulate oral health human resources is, according to most dental hygienists, an emphatic wish as a possible solution at national level.