• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.439-451
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• 2012

Objectives : The goal of this study is to investigate how transformational leadership does affect empowerment, organizational commitment and service quality of dental clinics and hospitals and for their efficient human resources management in a rapidly changing business environment. Methods : For this, workers of a dental clinic and a hospital in Gyeongsangnam-do were selected and the survey was carried out during September 1 to 30 of 2011 and the total 203 questionnaires were analyzed. Results : The analysis of structural model shows that transformational leadership has no significant influence on empowerment but does affect organizational commitment and service quality. And the result also reveals that empowerment has significant effect on organizational commitment and service quality while organizational commitment influences service quality. Conclusion : For this, it is needed that the leader of organization promotes the spirit of his subordinates and helps them find their potential ability and achieve goals by developing various leadership skills to cope with rapidly changing environment of dental clinics and hospitals.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.396-407
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• 2023

Background: This study investigated the awareness and utilization of maternity protection and work-family balance support policies among dental hygienists in dental hospitals and clinics. Methods: We surveyed 200 dental hygienists. Twenty-two who did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded, leaving 178 participants for analysis. The self-administered 48-item questionnaire gathered information on demographics, workplace details, policy awareness, government knowledge, and suggestions for improvement. Results: Awareness of maternity and family support programs significantly differed with age, marital status, number of children, and clinical experience. Dental hygienists in general hospitals and university hospitals reported greater ease of utilizing these policies compared to those in dental clinics. Among the participants, 27.7% took pre- and post-maternity leave, 26.6% took parental leave, 16.9% had reduced working hours during pregnancy, 15.8% had reduced working hours during childhood,and 8.5% during family leave. To promote program uptake, participants suggested mandatory implementation across workplaces (68.4%), expanded support for substitute workers (48.6%), and increased education and promotion of government support (42.4%). Conclusion: While most dental hygienists were aware of the Maternity Protection and Work-Family Balance Assistance Policy, utilizing it proved challenging due to several factors. Organizational policies or practices may not fully implement this policy, while workplace culture could discourage its use. Unfair treatment and the lack of available substitutes further hindered access. To prevent career interruptions for dental hygienists due to pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, and family care, and to maintain career continuity, the dental community and government should establish a multifaceted social support system. This system should prioritize several key areas: strengthening policy promotion, fostering a family-friendly atmosphere, improving management and supervision of policy implementation and developing a robust support system for substitute personnel.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.58 no.10
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• pp.627-638
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• 2020

This study was conducted to identify the subjective damage caused by COVID-19 and its related factors. The study subjects were members of the Korean Dental Association (KDA). We investigated the damage to dental clinics and hospitals caused by COVID-19 between January and April 2020. After analyzing the final 3,189 responses, the rate of decrease in patients was the highest at 34.9% in March, and the rate of decrease in income was the highest at 34.0% in April. As a result of the multilevel analysis, the damage caused by COVID-19 was greater in regions with more confirmed patients, more careers, and fewer dental staff. The government should establish a compensation plan for hospitals and clinics to prevent the collapse of the medical system due to the prolonged COVID-19. In addition, support for dentistry should be provided to maintain the oral health care system in the future.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.193-200
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine influential factors related to hand washing practice in dental hygienists by health belief model, one of the major predictors of health behavior including perceived susceptibility, perceived seriousness, perceived benefits, perceived barriers and cues to action. Methods : The subjects were dental hygienists in dental hospitals, dental clinics, general hospitals and university hospitals in Seoul. A survey was conducted from May 1 to September 30, 2011. Results : Analysis of health belief of dental hygienists in hand washing, they revealed the highest marks of 4.39 to perceived benefits, followed by perceived susceptibility(4.29), perceived seriousness(3.94), cues to action(3.30) and perceived barriers(1.81). The mean was 4.13 in hand washing practice. The senior and well educated dental hygienists in general hospitals had a tendency to wash hands frequently. It is statistically significant(p<0.05). In regard to the correlation among the subfactors of health beliefs, susceptibility had a statistically significant positive correlation to seriousness, benefits and cues to action, and seriousness was positively correlated to benefits and cues to action. Conclusions : It is necessary to develop and implement hand washing education program for dental hygienists focusing on perceived benefits and barriers which are two of the health beliefs affecting the hand washing practice.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.993-1003
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• 2011

Objectives : This study is designed to identify the need for an efficient infection control plan in the curriculum of Dept. of Dental Hygiene and encourage dental hygienists to be more attentive to infection control by analyzing their personal protective measures, hand-washing frequency and other factors relating to infection control. Methods : A survey was conducted of 471 dental hygienists in general hospitals, dental clinics and dental hospitals in City of Busan and Gyeongsangnam-do from December 20, 2009 to February 21, 2010. Results : 1. Among those who worked for more than 11 years, personal protection (3.79) and hand-washing frequency (3.90) factors were rated high (p<0.05). 2. When surveyed by workplace, personal protection was high in general hospitals (3.75) while hand-washing frequency was high in dental clinics (3.74). 3. Among those who received infection control education more than three times, personal protection (4.07) and hand-washing frequency (3.80) were high (p<0.05). 4. Personal protection-related factors were general hospital workers, necessity of infection control education and awareness on infectious disease (p<0.05), while factors associated with hand-washing frequency were number of patients per day, whether or not infection control-related class is given at school, necessity of infection control education and awareness on infectious disease (p<0.05). Conclusions : To enhance awareness of infection control, it may be necessary to addan infection control-related class to the school curriculum and provide the necessity of conducting continuous and systematic infection control education through newly entering staff training and education of dental practitioners.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.363-369
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the cognition and practice of infection control in the dental hygienists. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was completed by 220 dental hygienists in Busan and Gyeongnam from August 1 to 31, 2014. The questionnaire was adapted from Nam. The questionnaire consisted of four questions of the general characteristics of the subjects, two questions of infection control factors, four questions of clinic environment, 50 questions of awareness of infection control, and 50 questions of infection control practice. Cronbach's alpha in the awareness of infection control was 0.958 and that in infection control practice was 0.950. Results: The dental hygienists in the large scale hospitals tended to have higher score of cognition and practice of infection control thatn those in the small scale hospitals(p<0.001). Small scale hospitals tended to have lower infection rate than the large scale hospitals. The education for the infection control guideline reduced the infection prevalence rate. Conclusions: In order to reduce the infection prevalence rate, it is necessary to educate the dental hygienists continuously and to provide the infection control guideline to the dental clinics.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.171-180
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• 2022

Objectives: The study aimed to investigate the perception and usage of oral hygiene products among patients who visited dental hospitals or clinics. Methods: A questionnaire was provided to a total of 187 patients who visited dental hospitals or clinics in Gyeongnam area. The answers were then statistically analyzed. Results: Interest in oral hygiene (r=0.194, p<0.01) and the subjective perception of oral health (r=0.232, p<0.01) had a significant positive correlation with oral hygiene device awareness. Moreover, this study showed that females (β=-0.185, p<0.05) and those with greater interest in oral health (β=0.156, p<0.05) were more familiar with and used toothbrushes regularly. Finally, this study showed that females (β=-0.459, p<0.001) and those who did not suffer from halitosis (β=-0.215, p<0.01) were more familiar with and used oral hygiene devices regularly. Conclusions: To ensure the proper recognition and use of oral hygiene devices, professional oral health education is necessary. Furthermore, various forms of media should be used to disseminate information on oral hygiene devices.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.1003-1013
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the differences of dental hygienists in how they view their work and how they rate their emotional labor and occupational stress. Gathering this data was an effort to provide information on how to increase occupational satisfaction and improve work environments for dental hygienists. Methods: We analyzed data collected from 178 dental hygienists. The dental hygienists were randomly selected by convenience sampling from dental hospitals. Results: Our results showed that pediatric hygienists had more negative responses in regard to their views on their work. As for emotional labor, dental hygienists from pediatric dental clinics experienced heavier emotional labor than those from general dental clinics. On the other hand, dental hygienists from general dental clinics suffered more from occupational stress than pediatric dental hygienists did. Conclusions: Given the findings of this study, effective and ideal programs that promote occupational satisfaction for dental hygienists should be prepared, and strategies should be developed to resolve emotional labor and improve their work environments, as well.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.645-653
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• 2021

Objectives: This study aimed to offer basic resources needed to solve conflicts and problems of communication among dental hygienists working in dental clinics by comprehending and analyzing their in-depth communication experiences. Methods: Individual depth interviews were conducted with 10 dental hygienists who had over one year of clinical experience and worked in dental clinics in Gwangju, from September 16 to October 15, 2020. Colaizzi's phenomenological analysis was performed. Results: The results of the interviews were grouped into four central categories: lack of communication due to differences in position, relationships they want to avoid, return to joint work, beginning of new communication. The participants of this study experienced difficulties in communicating with dental hygienists in the clinical field, but they overcame the conflicts by trying to understand others by putting themselves in others' shoes. Conclusions: This study is expected to contribute to providing good quality medical services to patients by promoting effective communication among dental hygienists.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.411-418
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• 2013

Objectives : The quality of service is considered as the difference between services that customers perceive and expect by using SERVQUAL model and the basic data for the efficiency of management of dental hospital and clinics, the differentiation strategies of dental medical institutions and the improvements on quality of service are provided. Methods : Subjects were 469 patients who visited six dental hospitals and clinics in Daegu-Gyeongbuk regions. Questionnaire consisted of five items such as type, reliability, responsiveness, certainty and empathy properties. Data were analyzed using SPSS 12.0 program in this study. Results : Women had high satisfaction scores of medical services in certainty and empathy properties. 40s and higher had the highest score in the type property. 30s had high score in the certainty property. For expected service satisfaction, 30s had the highest score in dental practitioners and administrative staffs. For reuse of current medical institution and intent for recommendation, certainty property and factor of dentist and dental practitioners had high scores. Additionally, reliability and responsiveness properties were statistically significant. Conclusions : Medical institutions should make every effort to get the dentists or dental practitioners have the medical knowledge at a high level, a kindness for patients and trust from patients.