Attitudes among dentists and dental hygienists towards extended scope and independent practice of dental hygienists.
OBJECTIVE
Attitudes of dentists and dental hygienists towards extended scope and independent dental hygiene practice are described in several studies, but the results are heterogenous. The purpose of this systematic review was to compare the attitudes of dentists and dental hygienists towards extended scope and independent dental hygiene practice.


METHODS
PubMed, AMED and CINAHL were screened by two independent assessors to identify relevant studies. Only quantitative studies that reported the percentages of dentists' and dental hygienists' attitude towards extended scope and independent dental hygiene practice were included. The random-effects model was used to synthesise possible heterogenous influences.


RESULTS
Meta proportions with regard to a positive attitude towards extended scope of practice are 0.54 for dentists and 0.81 for dental hygienists. Meta proportions of a positive attitude towards independent practice are 0.14 for dentists and 0.59 for dental hygienists. A meta analysis with regard to negative attitudes could only be performed on extended scope of practice and did not reveal a difference between the two professions. We obtained homogeneous outcomes of the studies included regarding negative attitudes of dentists . A minority of dentists hold negative attitudes towards extended scope of dental hygiene practice. Study outcomes regarding negative attitudes of dental hygienists were heterogeneous.


CONCLUSIONS
Positive attitudes are present among a majority of dentists and dental hygienists with regard to extended scope of dental hygiene practice, while for independent dental hygiene practice this holds for a minority of dentists and a majority of dental hygienists.
Research Group Healthy Ageing Allied Health Care and Nursing, Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.|Department of Community and Individual Oral Health Care, Center for Dentistry and Oral Hygiene, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Jan J
JJ
Reinders
Research Group Healthy Ageing Allied Health Care and Nursing, Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Wim P
WP
Krijnen
Department of Community and Individual Oral Health Care, Center for Dentistry and Oral Hygiene, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Pieter
P
Onclin
Research Group Healthy Ageing Allied Health Care and Nursing, Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.|Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Cees P
CP
van der Schans
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Boudewijn
B
Stegenga
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003815:Dentists / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000379:methods; D024382:Professional Role / Q000523:psychology
Dental practice; general dental practice; hygienist; oral health policy; primary oral health care
J Health Serv Res Policy. 2001 Oct;6(4):233-8
11685788
Ned Tijdschr Tandheelkd. 2009 Sep;116(9):499-506
19791494
BMC Bioinformatics. 2007 Oct 30;8:423
17971238
Br Dent J. 2010 Feb 13;208(3):116-7
20147930
J Dent Hyg. 2009 Winter;83(1):36-44
19366529
Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2008 Dec;36(6):558-66
18430040
J Dent Hyg. 2009 Summer;83(3):117-25
19723430
Int J Dent Hyg. 2012 Aug;10(3):155-62
23046004
Worldviews Evid Based Nurs. 2004;1(3):176-84
17163895
J Public Health Dent. 2006 Summer;66(3):186-91
16913245
J Am Dent Assoc. 1995 Sep;126(9):1291-4
7560590
J Clin Epidemiol. 2009 Oct;62(10):1006-12
19631508
Dent Hyg (Chic). 1985 Dec;59(12):558-62
3867553
CMAJ. 2007 Apr 10;176(8):1091-6
17420491
Br Dent J. 2007 Feb 10;202(3):E8; discussion 146-7
17256012
Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2012 Jun;40(3):247-56
22324393
Scand J Caring Sci. 2011 Jun;25(2):311-6
21564147
Ned Tijdschr Tandheelkd. 2001 Aug;108(8):323-5
11534454
J Dent Hyg. 1989 May;63(4):173-80
2600646
Aust Dent J. 2008 Mar;53(1):67-73
18304244
Int Dent J. 2009 Apr;59(2):63-77; quiz 62
19489285
Int J Dent Hyg. 2003 Feb;1(1):43-8
16451545
Int J Dent Hyg. 2005 Aug;3(3):117-25
16451362
Eur J Dent Educ. 2008 Feb;12(1):23-8
18257761
J Clin Periodontol. 2002 Aug;29(8):672-8
12390562
Br Dent J. 2011 Oct 21;211(8):E16
22015537
J Dent Educ. 2009 Aug;73(8):1001-8
19648571
J Public Health Dent. 2013 Summer;73(3):237-44
23668892
Dent Today. 2001 Jul;20(7):56-61
11462340
J Clin Periodontol. 2003 Apr;30(4):346-52
12694434
J Can Dent Assoc. 2004 Sep;70(8):535-8
15363213
Int Dent J. 2010 Aug;60(4):311-6
20949764
Stat Med. 2006 Oct 30;25(20):3443-57
16345038
Gen Dent. 1990 Jul-Aug;38(4):268-71
2076805
SADJ. 1998 Dec;53(12):537-46
10518905
Soc Sci Med. 1999 Feb;48(3):407-20
10077287
J Dent Hyg. 2000 Summer;74(3):196-204
11314639
J Indiana Dent Assoc. 1997 Fall;76(3):13-6
9518747
J Dent Hyg. 1992 Mar-Apr;66(3):137-46
1625000
Int J Dent Hyg. 2012 Aug;10(3):148-54
23046003
Laryngoscope. 2006 Feb;116(2):336-40
16467730
Psychol Rep. 1978 Jun;42(3 Pt 2):1307-10
674487
J Dent. 2008 May;36(5):343-50
18313826
J Dent Hyg. 1990 Sep;64(7):320, 322
2090781
Int Dent J. 2003 Aug;53(4):255-63
12953895
Soc Sci Med. 2004 Jun;58(11):2243-52
15047081
Stat Med. 2003 Sep 15;22(17):2693-710
12939780
Med J Aust. 2006 Jul 3;185(1):20-2
16813542
Int Dent J. 2014 Jun;64(3):117-26
24863646
Community Dent Health. 1987 Jun;4(2):143-50
3475153
J Dent Hyg. 2009 Spring;83(2):84-91
19470234
SADJ. 2004 Jun;59(5):184, 186-8
15449437
J Dent Hyg. 2000 Fall;74(4):261-70
11314477