PROBLEM STATEMENT: Imploring dental hygienists to utilize their expanded skills to address dental provider shortages remains important. However, the understanding of dental hygienists’ experiences providing restorative care is limited.
PURPOSE: The intent was to explore the lived experiences of dental hygienists who provide restorative patient care.
METHODS: Phenomenology was the qualitative approach used. Purposive sampling ensured participants had relevant experiences. An Interview Guide was emailed one week prior to the interview to help participants prepare responses. Informed consent included selecting a pseudonym, which was used throughout the interview and on the written transcript to protect the participants’ identities. One-hour interviews were conducted and recorded on Zoom. Data collection and analysis occurred simultaneously. Verbatim transcription accuracy was verified. Data were initially coded and then focused coding created themes. Demographic data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
RESULTS: After eight interviews data saturation was achieved. Seven females and one male participated. All participants experienced a restorative curriculum in their entry-level program and most felt well-prepared. The motivation for becoming a restorative dental hygienist included having positive restorative experiences during the entry-level program, wanting to keep restorative skills current after graduation, and having an opportunity to provide restorative care. Challenges experienced included the dentists’ negative attitudes, hygienists’ not valuing restorative abilities and not having a qualified dental assistant. Personal benefits were related to career fulfillment. Benefits to patients involved improving access, efficiency, and convenience. The benefit to the office was increased production. Differences between restorative and preventive care involved demands of care and patient care flow.
CONCLUSION: The findings provide insight into the unique experiences of dental hygienists who provided restorative care and a foundation for future research.
IRB Approval: IRB-FY2022-212
This research supports the American Dental Hygienists’ Association’s research priority areas: Professional Development (career longevity and satisfaction) and Population Health (access to care).
All abstract authors: Melissa Ray, RDH, MS Crystal Kanderis Lane, RDH, MS Ellen J. Rogor, RDH, PhD
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