• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.142-149
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• 2016

The number of male dental hygienists has been continuously increasing in dental services. The purpose of this study aimed to identify the relationship between job stress, job satisfaction, and turnover intention in male dental hygienists and to provide basic data to improve their job satisfaction. The study population was 110 Korean male dental hygienists working for dental clinics or hospitals. The data were collected from November 10 to December 7, 2015. After an explanation about the objective of the study, 110 questionnaires were distributed via email, and 97 responses were analyzed using SPSS. Overall averages of job stress, job satisfaction and turnover intention in male dental hygienists were 3.05, 2.92, and 3.47 out of 5, respectively. Some sub-factors of job stress, including interpersonal relationships at the workplace and future prospects of dental clinics, were proven to have statistically significant negative influence on job satisfaction (p<0.001). Regression analysis was performed with job stress and job satisfaction as independent variables and turnover intention as a dependent variable. Results showed that job stress had a positive effect on turnover intention (p<0.01) while job satisfaction had a negative effect on turnover intention (p<0.001). Job satisfaction was revealed to have statistically significant negative influence on turnover intention (p<0.001). Some of sub-factors of job stress, including work environment and future prospects of dental clinics and professional position, had a positive effect on turnover intention (p<0.05). The study showed that higher job stress led to higher turnover intention, and higher job satisfaction led to lower turnover intention. Accordingly, job stress and job satisfaction are critical factors for turnover intention in male dental hygienists.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.644-658
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• 2009

Objectives : This study was to find out the status of job satisfaction and intent to leave the job for dental hygienists, and those factors affecting their intent to leave, so as to prevent dental hygienists from leaving their jobs in advance, and to strive for extending the life span of the job, contributing to improve dental care services provided by dental hygienists. Methods : The data were collected from 280 dental hygienists working in dental clinics or hospitals in Busan and Gyeongnam area by using a structured and self-administered questionnaire through mail, from February 1 to March 15, 2009, and were analyzed by using SPSS WIN 14.0 program. Results : First, It was the most prevalent for the dental hygienists surveyed to be between 100 to 149 thousand won in the level of monthly as 42.3%, and to be the assistance of dental examination and treatment for main duty as 62.5%. Leaving job was experience by 51.6% of the subjects, with work condition as the most common reason for 32.2%. Second, the degree of job satisfaction was 3.4 points overall in the score of 5 point Likert's scale on the average, showing affirmative level above the average, and significantly different according to certain characteristics such as age, education level, total years of work career, years of work career in the current job, monthly salary level, whether to provide monthly paid leave, and the number of patients treated per day. It also was significantly correlated with some structural factors and variables consisting attitude and value, including equity in pay(r=0.612), job perception as dental hygienist(r=0.573), work environment(r=0.552), self growth(r=0.531), affirmative attitude(r=0.421), and so on. Third, the mean score of intent to leave was 2.73 overall and lower than the average, showing significant relationship with some characteristics, such as age, marital status, education level, total years of work career, years of work career in the current job, monthly salary level, whether to provide monthly paid leave, and the number of patients treated per day. Intent to leave also showed the highest correlation with job satisfaction(r=-0.708), followed by equity in pay(r=-0.482), self growth (r=-0.453), job perception as dental hygienist(r=-0.392), work environment(r=-0.362), etc. Forth, job satisfaction was significantly influenced by some factors including equity in pay, followed by job perception as dental hygienist, relationship with fellow colleagues, affirmative attitude and work environment, and so on. Fifth, the intent to leave was significantly affected not only by job satisfaction but also by some structural factors including equity in pay, self growth and job perception as dental hygienist. Conclusions : The above results showed that the equity in pay was the most important factor for the intent to leave the job as well as job satisfaction among dental hygienists, thus suggesting that systematic measures should be provided to improve the job satisfaction to prevent economic loss due to leaving job frequently, and to provide pertinent reward system as a profession to enhance the motivation for accomplishment on job for dental hygienists.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.85-108
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• 2012

One of the ways to achieve the principle of equal access for equal needs, availability and geographical accessibility of health care resources regardless of resident sites is important. The purpose of this paper is to measure socioeconomic inequities in distribution of health care resources among regions in the Republic of Korea (hereafter Korea). Data were extracted from regional statistics of National Health Insurance, Community Health Survey, Korea Social Science Data Archive, and Korean Statistical Information Services at the same period of 2009. The dependent variables were the number of health workforce and health care facilities in each region. The proxy indicator of regional socioeconomic status was local tax per person. To identify whether inequalities among regions, we examined the concentration index(CI) and indirectly standardized CI by controlling each region's demographics and need factors. Total observations were 232 districts in nationwide, and we analyzed separately Seoul(25 districts) and non-Seoul areas(207 districts). The standardized CI values of health care resources were positive(favoring the rich region) across the nation in almost all kinds of resources. Especially the number of specialist, dentist, dental clinics, clinics, oriental medical clinics, pharmacists, and pharmacies were statistically significantly favoring the rich region. But the CI for the number of long-term care hospitals, public health centers were negative(favoring the poor region). The tendency of CI presenting positive values were increased in Seoul area. But in the case of non-Seoul, the CI indexes were nearly zero. The results suggest that except the Seoul area, little regional socioeconomic-related inequalities were observed in the distribution of health care resources in Korea.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.836-844
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• 2015

The objective of this research is to analyze geographical distribution of Korean dental hygienists to provide the geographical basis of supply-side policy for dental hygienists from the perspective of dental geography by using Geographic Information System (GIS) in which the choropleth map has been regarded as the most popular method. The present report is highly meaningful for the policy of dental hygienist on the supply side of dental care market. The data used in the article derive from the statistics-associated portal site provided by Korean government. It includes the statistics on general population, the regional numbers of dental hygiene students, county-based numbers of registered dental hygienists, dentists, and dental clinics and hospitals. Several maps are created by investigating these statistical data with GIS. This study is focused on the comparative analysis between entrants to the department of dental hygiene, registered acting dental hygienists and dentists in terms of county-based distribution per its population. The main result demonstrates that whereas about half of dental hygienists and dentists are respectively concentrated in Seoul and Gyung-gi, just one-fifth of entrants to the department of dental hygiene in the Seoul-metropolitan area. From the perspective of the supply-side policy of dental hygienists, the research argues that the creation or expansion of the department of dental hygiene does not directly meet social need for dental care services.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.235-241
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to examine the state of convenience facilities for the disabled in dental institutions in an effort to provide some information on the improvement of the accessibility of disabled people to dental institutions. A survey was conducted on the licensed dental institutions in the city of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, from March to April, 2011. The findings of the study were as follows. The dental offices were the majority of the dental institutions investigated, and for the establishment of the dental institutions. Some of the offices were established before 1990, and some were established in 2011. The time period of establishment varied within the offices. As for the location of the dental institutions within the buildings, they were mostly on the second or third floor. Regarding the convenience facilities for the disabled, the most installed convenience facilities were boardwalks and elevators, and the least installed ones were parking lots and restrooms for the disabled. The hospitals and public dental centers were equipped with all the convenience facilities investigated in this study. Overall, the dental institutions that were established in and after 2006 were equipped with more convenience facilities than the dental institutions that were established before 1990. And the dental clinics that were on the third or higher floor were more equipped with elevators and outdoor slope ways than those that were on the first or second floor. Therefore the revision of the law is required to urge even the primary dental institutions to compulsorily install the convenience facilities. The findings of the study are expected to make a contribution to the improvement of the accessibility of disabled people to dental institutions.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.169-180
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• 2009

This study grasped recognition on a system of long-term care insurance for the elderly targeting dental professionals who are working at dental hospitals and clinics where are located in Daejeon Metropolitan City. It developed and utilized materials available for educating the care staff in a system of long-term care insurance for the elderly and the dental professionals who participate in the oral hygiene service. It carried out the effective duty performance for the elderly in a situation of long-term care protection. Thus, the purpose of this study was to contribute to the early settlement in a system of long-term care insurance for the elderly. The following conclusions were obtained as a result of having carried out self-administered questionnaire research targeting 238 people from August 1 to August 30 in 2008. 1. In the general characteristics of the research subject, the present working place was indicated to be 22.7% for dental hospital, 71.8% for dental clinic, and 5.5% for others. As for the main duty field, the medical treatment & cooperative duty was indicated to be the highest with 61.8%, and was statistically significant(p=0.000). 2. The necessity for a system of long-term care insurance for the elderly was indicated to be 77.7% for 'necessary' and 1.7% for 'unnecessary,' and was statistically significant(p=0.016). 3. In the item of dividing the service of long-term care insurance for the elderly, the dental hygienists showed higher recognition than non-dental hygienists, and indicated significant difference(p=0.010). 4. As for recognition on a system of long-term care insurance for the elderly in dental professionals who responded as saying of 'knowing name and contents' about a system of long-term care insurance for the elderly, the recognition level was high in recognition of subjects' age(p=0.000), division in services(p=0.012), contents in at-home care service(p=0.000), execution in oral-hygiene service(p=0.004), procedure of using the long-term care insurance for the elderly(p=0.016), item of judging grade of long-term care insurance for the elderly(p=0.013), medical charge by service according to judging grade of long-term care insurance for the elderly(p=0.015), burden of cost for a system of long-term care insurance for the elderly(p=0.011), qualification of care staff(p=0.002), and contents of oral-hygiene service(p=0.027), and showed significant difference. 5. The service of long-term care insurance for the elderly and the oral-hygiene service indicated the statistically significant correlation. Accordingly, all of dental professionals need to make a desperate effort to improve dental professionals' knowledge on a system of long-term care insurance for the elderly enough to be required a system of long-term care insurance for the elderly. The more systematic and standardized professional education and materials are thought to be needed to be developed aiming at the success in oral-hygiene service within a system of long-term care insurance for the elderly, by strengthening professionalism in dentists and dental hygienists.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.481-487
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to examine the perception of health-related majors in their third year of college about the image of a dental hygienist as prospective dental personnels. The findings of the study were as follows: 1. Concerning perception of the image of a dental hygienist by geographic region, the college students from large cities gave 89.07 to that, and the college students from small and mid-sized urban areas gave 85.03. The former gave higher marks to the image of a dental hygienist, and the gap between the two was statistically significant. By department, the students who majored in physical therapy gave the highest score of 88.93, dental technology and radiology gave the second highest score of 86.91. The clinical pathology gave the third highest score of 83.28, and the gaps among them were significant. 2. As for their perception of the four subfactors(qualifications, roles, social participation and interpersonal relationship) of the image of a dental hygienist by geographic region, there were statistically significant gaps in their way of looking at the qualifications, roles and interpersonal relationship of a dental hygienist. By department, the physical therapy majors gave the highest marks to all the four subfactors. 3. When they were asked to give one or more answers to the question what affected their image building about a dental hygienist, the largest number of the students that accounted for 67.9 percent replied that the looks of dental hygienists whom they saw in dental clinics or hospitals impacted on their image of a dental hygienist.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.456-467
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• 2009

For this study, self-completion survey for 149 implant patients of dental clinics and hospitals in Seoul and Kyunggi areahas been executed in order to provide basic data for increasing patient satisfaction level by effective consultation and various information for the patients who want dental implantation. The conclusion of the study is like below. 1. In terms of demographics of the study, sample size of female patients(n=85) was more than that of male patients(n=64) and patients in their 50s were major age group. When it comes to the educational level, university graduates were 85 and high school graduates were 44. And 132 were married and 6 were single. In the income level, monthly income between KRW 2~4 million was major group(n=59). 2. In the study, patients' most concern was complication or adverse events(n=41), and price(n=39) & annual dental check-up(n=49) were following it. And 80 patients responded that dental health is the most valuable(n=80) and whole body health was following(n=37). In terms of knowledge on dental implant, 100 patients responded 'know just a little', 31 and 13 answered 'generally know' and 'well know' each. 3. As a result of analyzing implant patients' satisfaction level by segment, general satisfaction rate was highest as 4.20, social satisfaction rate was 4.20, psychological function was 4.06 and masticatory function was 3.90. 4. Based on the result of comparing patient satisfaction level by general characters of dental implant patient, chewing function was the highest in the age group of 60s with score of 4.21 and in terms of social function, the group with over KRW 8 million of monthly income showed highest score with 4.54. When it comes to the psychological function, patients in their 70s showed highest satisfaction level with 4.52. In the end, patients in their 70s showed highest score with 4.81 in the overall satisfaction and it was also statistically significant. 5. In the overall satisfaction level by interest in dental health, appearance showed highest score with 4.57 and it was also significantly higher than that of whole body. In the variance by dental knowledge, 'well know' group showed highest score with 4.58, and that of 'just a little' group was 4.33. That means there are correlations between dental knowledge and satisfaction level. 6. As a result of analyzing correlations amongst variances of the study, there were strong positive correlations among them. And there were very significantly positive correlations especially between social and psychological function and between psychological and overall satisfaction level. In conclusion, higher psychological function has strong relations with both social function and overall satisfaction level(p<.001).

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.315-321
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• 2022

Objectives: Although the number of clinics offering temporomandibular joint (TMJ) physical therapy has been increasing to help with its treatment, the scope of dental physiotherapy reflected in the dental hygienist curriculum is very limited. This study aims to survey the status of dental physiotherapy work and the need for educating dental hygienists. Methods: An online community platform was used to survey 140 dental hygienists working in clinical dental hospitals. The survey included questions about general characteristics, the experience of dental physiotherapy work, the importance of physiotherapy work performance, and the need for physical therapy education for dental hygienists. Results: Half of the study participants had prior experience working in dental physiotherapy. Out of 140 participants, 88.6% agreed with the opinion that 'physical therapy work is important or that it will become important'. Furthermore, 84.3% agreed that 'physical therapy education is necessary for dental hygienists'. Even dental hygienists without physical therapy experience (50.7%) believed that related education would be necessary because of the importance of physical therapy work in dentistry. Conclusions: This study suggests the need for education in dental physiotherapy to help dental hygienists effectively perform clinical tasks.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2017

There are 82 dental hygiene departments and clinical training institutes across the country with a very wide range of clinical practice content and evaluation methods, making standardization difficult. Therefore, there is a need to establish a standard protocol outlining clinical practice content and evaluation methods for systematic and efficient operation of clinical practice. Thus, this study attempted to propose such a protocol for standardization of dental hygiene clinical practice in dental clinics and hospitals to examine the contents of clinical practice by reviewing relevant literature, and relating it to professional practice within the dental hygienic curriculum to facilitate enhancement of expertise. Clinical practice content was extracted from 74 cases, and was consisted of classifying mandatory and optional clinical practice, training time, and activity methods for each component. To standardize effective clinical practice, it is necessary to organize the components acquired in the course of clinical dentistry training in line with their arrangement on each university's curriculum, in order to learn all components step by step. To do this, it is necessary to present a standardized clinical practice protocol and a organic cooperation between educational institutions and clinical training institutions.