Abstract
Introduction: The legal duties of Korean dental hygienists are different from the actual tasks. These factors cause dental hygienists to experience work stress. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate what tasks the dental hygienist expects to perform. Methods: This study examined the perception of dental hygienists' work on 158 prospective graduates of the 3rd-year and 4th-year course of dental hygiene. The questionnaire about the dental hygienist's duties was prepared based on the job description of dental hygienists by the Korea Health Personnel Licensing Examination Institute. Results: More than 84% said that all of the work in the second job description was possible as dental hygienists. subjects responded that the following items were not dental hygienists' duties: treatment plan based on medical history and dental history, treatment plan based on an intraoral and extraoral examination, treatment plan based on the results of teeth and periodontal examination, analysis of oral health data in community, planning of oral health promotion in community, planing of water fluoridation, reading of radiography, root planing, physical treatment on head and neck, using an ultrasonic device on head and neck, dealing with laser devices, making a temporary crown, suture and stitch-out, and intramuscular injection. Conclusions: Most graduates of dental hygiene departments have recognized that the tasks described in the second job description are dental hygienists' work; therefore, it is necessary to improve the gap between expected work and legal work.
