A survey of the workload of dental therapists/hygienist-therapists employed in primary care settings.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether dental therapists/hygienist-therapists employed in UK primary care settings are currently fulfilling a mainly preventive or therapeutic role, and whether the pattern of work they undertake depends upon the specific setting in which they are employed.


METHODS
Self-administered postal questionnaire including a day-book proforma.


RESULTS
Useable day-book proformas were received from 209 dental therapists/hygienist-therapists. Their analysis indicated that those working in the GDS (when compared with those working in the CDS) are predominantly treating adults and being delegated a preventive role which could equally be fulfilled by singly-qualified dental hygienists.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that primary care dentists working with dental therapists/hygienist-therapists are currently utilising only a small range of these professionals' skills. Consideration should be given as to whether to (a) meet the wishes of dentists by training singly-qualified hygienists, or (b) develop a system which encourages dentists to use dental therapists/hygienist-therapists differently.
Jones
G
G
Cardiff University School of Dentistry, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK.
Evans
C
C
Hunter
L
L
D002983:Clinical Competence; D032022:Delegation, Professional; D003727:Dental Auxiliaries / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003814:Dentistry, Operative; D005792:General Practice, Dental; D006801:Humans; D011313:Preventive Dentistry; D013218:State Dentistry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload