Factors associated with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts by Australian dental practitioners

INTRODUCTION

To investigate factors associated with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts amongst Australian dental practitioners.

METHODS

A self-reported online survey of 1474 registered dental practitioners in Australia was conducted from October to December 2021. Participants reported thoughts of suicide in the preceding 12 months, prior to the preceding 12 months and prior suicide attempts.

RESULTS

Overall, 17.6% reported thoughts of suicide in the preceding 12 months, 31.4% prior to the preceding 12 months, and 5.6% reported ever having made a suicide attempt. In multivariate models, the odds of suicidal ideation in the preceding 12 months were higher in dental practitioners who were male (OR = 2.01), had a current diagnosis of depression (OR = 1.62), were experiencing moderate (OR = 2.76) or severe psychological distress (OR = 3.58), had self-reported illicit substance use (OR = 2.06) or had previous self-reported suicide attempts (OR = 3.02). Younger dental practitioners had more than twice the odds of recent suicidal ideation than those aged 61+ years, with higher resilience having decreasing odds of suicidal ideation.

LIMITATIONS

This study did not address help seeking behaviours directly related to suicidal ideation, so it is not clear how many participants were actively seeking mental health support. The response rate was low and results may be subject to responder biases, with practitioners experiencing depression, stress and burnout being more willing to participate.

CONCLUSION

These finding highlight a high prevalence of suicidal ideation amongst Australian dental practitioners. It is important to continue to monitor their mental health and develop tailored programs to provide essential interventions and supports.

Nutrition Care Practices of Dietitians and Oral Health Professionals for Oral Health Conditions: A Scoping Review

Background: Oral health conditions, such as dental caries, pose a substantial burden worldwide. Although there are many risk factors for poor oral health, diet is often implicated as a cause of these issues. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify and map studies that have captured information on the “real-world” nutrition care practices of oral health professionals (OHPs) and dietitians to optimize oral health, and specifically the dentition and periodontium. Methods: A search of peer-reviewed articles was conducted using MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Embase. Articles that addressed the review objective and met the following criteria were included: English language, published since 2000, and study conducted in a high-income country. Results: Overall, 70 articles were included. Most articles reported on cross-sectional survey studies and provided self-reported data on OHP practices; few articles reported on dietitians. Most articles reported only general/unspecific information on assessment and intervention practices, such as dietary analysis, nutrition counselling, and diet advice, and lacked specific information about the care provided, such as the dietary assessment tools used, type of information provided, and time spent on these activities. Barriers to the provision of nutrition care by OHPs were common and included time and lack of remuneration. Few studies reported on collaboration between dietitians and OHPs. Conclusions: Several studies have captured self-reported information on nutrition care practices of OHPs related to oral health; however, there is limited information available on the details of the care provided. Few studies have examined the practices of dietitians.

The effects of static seated and standing positions on posture in dental hygiene students: a pilot study

Background

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are highly prevalent among dental hygiene professionals. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate and compare seated and standing postures during simulated dental hygiene practice to determine ergonomic risks associated with each posture.

Methods

A convenience sample of 35 female second-year dental hygiene students with no history of musculoskeletal disorders was enrolled in this IRB-approved study. In 2 separate sessions, 1 seated and 1 standing, participants instrumented 1 quadrant of the mouth in a simulated oral environment. Two images per session, per participant, were taken to evaluate biomechanical demands of each posture using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) tool. The same 4 calibrated researchers scored all images independently and mean scores for each posture were analysed.

Results

Thirty-four students completed the study. Results revealed statistically significant (p = 0.001) differences in mean RULA scores between seated (M = 3.91, SD = 0.77) and standing (M = 4.50, SD = 1.00) postures, although these differences may not be clinically relevant.

Discussion

When postures were independently assessed, seated postures were more acceptable on average compared to standing postures, yet both were in the unacceptable range. Lack of training in standing postures may have impacted the results.

Conclusion

Results support the need for additional ergonomic training in dental hygiene curricula. Less than ideal posture when seated or standing could increase MSD risk. Future research should examine biomechanical loads of seated and standing postures, as well as the combination of these postures, for more insight into their ergonomic benefits and associated MSD risks.

Work-related musculoskeletal symptoms and coping strategies among dental auxiliaries at hospital universiti Sains Malaysia

Background

Dental personnel are vulnerable to work-related musculoskeletal symptoms (WMSS) due to the nature of their profession.

Aim

To determine WMSS experienced by dental auxiliaries and their coping strategies toward these symptoms.

Setting and Design

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 82 dental auxiliaries at a university dental hospital in Malaysia.

Materials and Methods

Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire and the Brief COPE questionnaire were used to measure the musculoskeletal symptoms and coping strategies of the respondents, respectively. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22.0.

Results

Dental auxiliaries consisted of dental staff nurses (30.5%), dental surgery assistants (40.2%), dental technologists (18.3%), and healthcare assistants (11.0%). Their mean [standard deviation (SD)] age was 33.4 (7.60) years. Most of the respondents had been troubled with ache, pain, and discomfort at the neck, 54.9% (95% confidence interval 44.0%, 66.0%]. In addition, they were troubled mainly with distress at the low back (34.1%) and the ankle or feet (34.1%) which had prevented the respondents from doing their regular job over the past 12 months. The most common areas that had troubled the respondents over the past 7 days were the neck (36.6%), low back (36.6%), and ankle or feet (36.6%). The coping strategy most commonly practiced by the respondents was religion with a mean (SD) score of 3.70 (2.15), followed by active coping [3.13 (0.68)] and acceptance [3.13 (0.69)].

Conclusion

The prevalence of WMSS was high in the dental auxiliaries particularly in the neck region. The most common coping strategy used was religion. Awareness programs on the prevention of WMSS among the dental auxiliaries should be increased.

Perception of Special Needs Dentistry education and practice amongst Australian dental auxiliary students

INTRODUCTION

The role of dental auxiliaries in collaborative care of patients with special needs is compelling. This study was undertaken to investigate the perceptions of Special Needs Dentistry (SND) education and practice amongst students enrolled in Australian programmes in dental auxiliary, namely dental hygiene, dental therapy and oral health therapy (DH/DT/OHT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All Australian institutions offering DH/DT/OHT programmes (n = 14) were invited to participate in a self-administered questionnaire survey, conducted online, involving students across all academic years. Twelve institutions agreed to participate, but only five institutions were included in the final analysis, with a student response rate of 31.1%. Answers to open-ended questions were coded and grouped for measurement of frequencies. Quantitative data were analysed via chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests (significance taken as P < .05).

RESULTS

The majority of students could not define SND (87.0%) were not aware of the existence of this specialty (53.5%) and did not have clinical experience treating patients with special needs (68.9%). Nevertheless, they felt comfortable and positive about treating these patients independently. Most agreed that they should receive clinical and didactic education in SND, with many of them expressing interest in pursuing a specialty training in this field.

CONCLUSION

DH/DT/OHT students' comfort levels, positive attitudes and supportiveness for SND suggested positive implications for these practitioners to partake in multidisciplinary management of patients with special needs, thus indicating the need for standardised training requirements and practice guidelines in this area of care.

The technical efficiency of oral healthcare provision: Evaluating role substitution in National Health Service dental practices in England

OBJECTIVES

In many countries increasing use is being made of dental care professionals (DCPs) to provide aspects of clinical activity previously undertaken by dentists. This study evaluates the differences in practice efficiency associated with the utilisation of DCPs in the provision of General Dental Services in the National Health Service (NHS) in England.

METHODS

One hundred twenty-one NHS practices completed a questionnaire and shared practice information held at the NHS Business Services Authority. Practice efficiency was estimated using data envelopment analysis with the robustness of the findings checked using Stochastic Frontier Model estimation.

RESULTS

Dental practices operated at an estimated mean level of technical efficiency of 64%. Variations among practices in the use of DCPs were not associated with variations in practice efficiency after controlling for other staffing levels, patient population characteristics and practice variables.

CONCLUSIONS

The current NHS dental contract limits the potential for efficiency improvements by setting annual practice activity targets that produce little incentive for role substitution. Whilst DCPs may by practising efficiently, this is not reflected in practice-level efficiency, possibly because of dentists using the time released for other non-NHS activity.

The acceptability of care provided by dental auxiliaries: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Dental auxiliaries undertaking a limited range of intraoral clinical procedures normally performed by dentists could increase access to care and control costs, yet their acceptability to patients has been questioned. The aim of this study was to assess data on the social acceptability and patient satisfaction of dental auxiliaries performing intraoral clinical procedures.

METHODS

The authors searched 14 electronic databases and 2 trial registries for studies of any design (from inception to November 2013). They searched gray literature databases (from inception to July 2014), reference lists of included studies, and high-yield journals (from January 2000 to December 2014). Risk of bias was assessed, and data were extracted.

RESULTS

The authors identified 29 studies: 25 considered experiential and 4 on social acceptability. Twenty-three were cross-sectional, 2 were qualitative, 1 was mixed-methods, and 3 had unclear methods. The authors found that patients reported high acceptability of care, comparable or better than that from dentists. Social acceptability varied, with care for children being less acceptable. One-fifth of people were unwilling to receive any treatment from a dental auxiliary. All studies were at high risk of bias, and quality of the evidence was low.

CONCLUSIONS

Experiential acceptability of dental auxiliaries by patients appeared high in this study, but their social acceptability varied.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Given the age of the studies, their settings, and their quality, generalizability to dental practices is limited. Additional high-quality, methodologically rigorous studies are needed.

Use of restorative procedures by allied dental health professionals in Minnesota

BACKGROUND

In 2003, the Minnesota legislature revised the Dental Practice Act to include restorative procedures in the scope of practice for registered dental assistants (RDAs) and registered dental hygienists (RDHs). The authors examined these practitioners' characteristics and made comparisons on the basis of their use of restorative function (RF) training and their practices' locations. They also examined practice type, models of implementation and perceived outcomes.

METHODS

The authors mailed a survey to all RF-certified RDAs and RDHs in Minnesota (N = 387). They used descriptive statistics to summarize the data and t tests and Fisher exact tests (P <.0001) to make comparisons between groups.

RESULTS

The authors received 243 surveys (63 percent). Less than one-half (38 percent) of the RF-certified practitioners performed RFs. Of these, 29 percent were RDHs and 71 percent were RDAs. These practitioners performed RFs most often by working with a dentist or when time allowed. They perceived increased access to dental care and an increase in the number of patients treated to be outcomes of performing RFs.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this survey indicated use of restorative procedures varied greatly by practitioner type. The perceptions of those who performed RFs indicated they had a positive effect on dental practice.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

The addition of RF-certified personnel to the dental team has the potential to increase the number of patients seen in practice and the job satisfaction of team members.

Knowledge and Awareness of Eye Flu among the Dentists and Dental Auxiliaries of Udaipur City, Rajasthan

BACKGROUND

Conjunctivitis is the inflammation of the conjunctiva and has 4 main causes-viruses, bacteria, allergens, and irritants. Among these, bacterial conjunctivitis is most common and is contagious, especially when the dentist is working with the infected person, and that person spreads the same to the other patient.

METHODS

A pretested questionnaire survey was conducted among 152 subjects (those who were present at the time of survey) aged 18 to 60 years of Udaipur city, Rajasthan in March 2012. Ethical clearance was obtained from relevant authority. Written informed consent was obtained from study participants.

RESULTS

All (80 dentists and 72 dental auxiliaries) the subjects returned the questionnaire. Regarding previous experience of eye flu, 67 (44.08%) participants reported that they had been infected with eye flu previously. Majority 123 (80.92%) of participants agreed that virus or bacteria caused eye flu. Majority of 145 (95.39%) of the participants agreed that the eye turns red during eye flu. One hundred and twenty three (80.92%) subjects replied that the dental treatment for a patient infected with eye flu should be delayed till the symptoms subside.

CONCLUSIONS

Eye flu being an occupational hazard among dentists, personal ophthalmic prophylactic care is a must which helps in prevention of spread of infection to other patients and family members.

A survey of the sociodemographic and educational characteristics of oral health technicians in public primary health care teams in Minas Gerais, Brazil

BACKGROUND

To describe some sociodemographic and educational characteristics of oral health technicians (OHTs) in public primary health care teams in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

METHODS

A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed based on the telephone survey of a representative sample comprising 231 individuals. A pre-tested instrument was used for the data collection, including questions on gender, age in years, years of work as an OHT, years since graduation as an OHT, formal schooling, individual income in a month, and participation in continuing educational programmes. The descriptive statistic was developed and the formation of clusters, by the agglomerative hierarchy technique based on the furthest neighbour, was based on the age, years of work as an OHT, time since graduation as an OHT, formal schooling, individual income in a month, and participation in continuing educational programmes.

RESULTS

Most interviewees (97.1%) were female. A monthly income of USD 300.00 to 600.00 was reported by 77.5% of the sample. Having educational qualifications in excess of their role was reported by approximately 20% of the participants. The median time since graduation was six years, and half of the sample had worked for four years as an OHT. Most interviewees (67.6%) reported having participated in professional continuing educational programmes. Two different clusters were identified based on the sociodemographic and educational characteristics of the sample.

CONCLUSIONS

The Brazilian OHTs in public primary health care teams in the state of Minas Gerais are mostly female who have had little time since graduation, working experience, and formal schooling sufficient for professional practice.

Utilization of nondentist providers and attitudes toward new provider models: findings from the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to quantify, within the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network, current utilization of dental hygienists and assistants with expanded functions and quantify network dentists' attitudes toward a new nondentist provider model - the dental therapist.

METHODS

National Dental Practice-Based Research Network practitioner-investigators participated in a single, cross-sectional administration of a questionnaire.

RESULTS

Current nondentist providers are not being utilized by network practitioner-investigators to the fullest extent allowed by law. Minnesota practitioners, practitioners in large group practices, and those with prior experience with expanded-function nondentist providers delegate at a higher rate and had more-positive perceptions of the new dental therapist model.

CONCLUSIONS

Expanding scopes of practice for dental hygienists and assistants has not translated to the maximal delegation allowed by law among network practices. This finding may provide insight into dentists' acceptance of newer nondentist provider models.

Job satisfaction among dental therapists in South Africa

OBJECTIVES

This article forms part of a larger research project on the dental therapy profession in South Africa. The objective of this study was to determine the level of job satisfaction among dental therapists trained at one South African university.

METHODS

This study was conducted using the qualitative research approach, where purposive and convenience sampling was used to select interviewees. They were asked a single question: "Do you think that dental therapists in South Africa are satisfied within their present careers?" The narrative data was interpreted using thematic analysis, and the data was validated by using the markers of trustworthiness.

RESULTS

All stakeholders believed that dental therapists trained at this university were not satisfied in the private and public sectors. In the private sector, they expressed frustration with their limited scope of practice. In the public service, lack of posts, poorly functioning dental facilities, and inadequate remuneration caused high levels of dissatisfaction. Many dental therapists chose this profession as a stepping stone to dentistry.

CONCLUSIONS

The roles and scope of practice of all members of the oral health team needs to be redefined within the context of the primary health care approach. Universities need to recruit students appropriately to fulfill their role within this team. Dental services in the public sector need to be upgraded to meet the oral health needs of the country.

Exploring professionalization among Brazilian oral health technicians

Professional dental auxiliaries emerged in the early 20th century in the United States of America and quickly spread to Europe and other regions of the world. In Brazil, however, oral health technicians (OHTs), who occupy a similar role as dental hygienists, had a long journey before the occupation achieved legal recognition: Brazilian Law 11.889, which regulates this occupation in the country, was only enacted in 2008. The aim of this paper is to review the literature on the professionalization of OHTs, highlighting the triggering, limiting and conflicting aspects that exerted an influence on the historical progress of these professionals in Brazil. We have tested Abbott's and Larson's theory on professionalization, against the history of OHTs. A number of different dental corporative interests exerted an influence over professionalization, especially in discussions regarding the permissible activities of these professionals in the oral cavity of patients. With primary health care advances in Brazil, the importance of these professionals has once again come to the forefront. This seems to be a key point in the consolidation of OHTs in the area of human resources for health in Brazil.

Occupational violence against dental professionals in southern Nigeria

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of workplace violence in Oral healthcare centres against Nigerian dental professionals.

METHODS

A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey of 175 randomly selected dental professionals working in Oral healthcare centres of University Teaching Hospitals in Southern Nigeria was conducted.

RESULTS

The survey response rate was 78.9%. The respondents were dentists (58.0%), dental nurses (18.1%), dental technologists (12.3%), dental therapists (8.0%) and dental record officers (3.6%). The prevalence of violence in Nigerian Oral healthcare centres was 31.9%. There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of violence against dentist and dental auxiliaries. Violence was often associated with long waiting time (27.3%), cancellation of appointment (13.6%), outcome of patient's treatment (11.4%), alcohol intoxication (9.1%), psychiatric patient (6.8%,) patient's bill (4.5%) and others (27.3%). Non-physical violence in form of loud shouting (50.0%) threat (22.7%), sexual harassment (6.8%) and swearing (2.3%) constituted the majority while physical violence in form of bullying and hitting constituted the remaining 18.2%. The main perpetrators of the violence were patients (54.5%) and patient's relatives/friends (18.2%). The expressed impact of violence among the respondents include fear (18.2%), impaired job performance (15.9%), psychological problems (13.6%) and off duty (9.1%). No impact was declared by 43.2% of respondents.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of workplace violence in Oral healthcare centres against dental professionals in Southern Nigeria was significant and had a substantial effect on dental professionals' well-being thus necessitating urgent attention.

Perceived oral health status and treatment needs of dental auxiliaries

Objective

To determine the perceived oral health status and treatment needs of Nigerian dental therapists in training and dental technology students.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional study of students from Federal School of Dental Therapy and Technology Enugu, Nigeria was conducted using self-administered questionnaire to obtain information on demography, self-reported oral health status, knowledge of impact of oral health on daily life activity, dental attendance and perceived dental need.

Results

The perception of oral health status and treatment need of the two groups of dental auxiliaries was the same. Fewer respondents (27.3%) rated their oral health as excellent, while 50.4% rated their oral health as good. Majority (95.5%) agreed that oral health is a part of general health and 94.6% agreed that oral health has a role in daily life.

Out of 81.4% that had previous dental treatment, scaling and polishing accounted for 66.1%. Presently, 48.8% think they need dental treatment ranging from scaling and polishing (33.9%), tooth restoration (10.3%), to extraction (1.2%).

Conclusion

This survey revealed that most of the students are aware that oral health is a component of general health and that it has an impact on an individual's daily life. More than half of the students perceived their oral health as good, but only a few knew that there is a need for a preventive approach to oral health as evident by the percentage that perceived scaling and polishing as a treatment need.