Dental Hygienists - Education

  • Blanchard, Steven B., and Jane S. Blanchard. May 2006. The prevalence of mentoring programs in the transition from student to practitioner among U.S. dental hygiene programs. Journal of Dental Education 70(5): 531–35. [Online, accessed 11/17/06.]

 Abstract available: http://www.jdentaled.org/cgi/content/abstract/70/5/531

“A survey was sent to all U.S. dental hygiene program directors to determine the prevalence of mentoring programs in the dental hygiene curriculum that utilize practicing dental hygienists as mentors to facilitate the transition from student to practitioner. Results showed that less than 30 percent of dental hygiene programs are using this type of student mentoring.”
 
  • Garvin, Jennifer. October 2004. Dental Workforce: What’s the solution? Academy of General Dentistry Impact 33(9). [Online, accessed 11/20/06.]
 
Available: http://www.agd.org/library/2004/oct/garvin.asp
This article discusses the question of whether there are enough dental hygiene workers to go around and possible solutions to the problem.
 
  • Holt, Marianne P. July 2005. Student retention practices in associate degree, entry-level dental hygiene programs. Journal of Dental Hygiene 79(3). [Online, accessed 11/17/06.]
 
Available: http://puck.ingentaconnect.com/vl=11769564/cl=24/nw=1/rpsv/cgi-bin/linker?ini=adha&reqidx=/cw/adha/15530205/v79n3/s6/p6
“The main purpose of this study was to investigate student retention strategies and practices implemented in associate degree, entry-level dental hygiene programs. Included are student attrition issues, academic standards, re-entry policies, and clinical remediation strategies.”
 
  • Nunn, Patricia J., Cynthia C. Gadbury-Amyot, Ann Battrell, Stephen I. Bruce, et al. March 2004. The Current Status of Allied Dental Faculty: A Survey Report, Journal of Dental Education 68(3): 329–44. [Online, accessed 11/20/06.]
 
Available:http://www.jdentaled.org/cgi/reprint/68/3/329?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=Nunn&andorexactfulltext=
and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT
“[T]he ADEA Board of Directors created a task force to investigate the current status of allied dental faculty, including the degree of cultural diversity, and to identify whether current and/or potential future shortages of educators exist. A survey was sent to all accredited allied dental program directors. Results indicated that a current faculty shortage exists for dental assisting and dental hygiene programs, with a projected greater future shortage for all allied dental education disciplines, primarily as a result of retirement of current faculty members.”