Winkley G P, Hoffman L A, Brown J O
Department of Associated Dental Sciences, Medical College of Georgia.
J Dent Hyg. 1990 Nov-Dec;64(9):410-1, 414, 416.
The perceived imbalance between the supply of and demand for practicing dental hygienists has encouraged organized dentistry to pressure legislators for revisions in state practice acts. Georgia's recent experience with this type of legislation has required dental hygiene educators to develop, implement, and evaluate strategies that would increase the pool of available dental hygienists. The purpose of this paper is to present a review of strategies that were developed by Georgia dental hygiene educators to meet the recommendations spurred by proposed legislation in the General Assembly of Georgia. Dental hygiene program directors were charged by the chancellor of the University System of Georgia to improve student recruitment and retention, to explore the feasibility of new programs in areas of need, and to examine innovative ways to improve access to dental hygiene education. Dental hygiene faculties united with their professional association to activate alumni and registered hygienists, to improve public awareness by accentuating positive aspects of dental hygiene careers, and to organize a communication network whereby legislative information could be disseminated rapidly. Student recruitment was strengthened through individual and joint programs organized by dentists and dental hygienists. In response to these efforts, program enrollments were increased substantially, and a new program was established in an area of need. Nationally, dental hygienists are facing many challenges and problems that threaten to weaken or eliminate their status as educated and competent health professionals. Recently, dental and dental hygiene educators' attention was drawn to legislative activity in Georgia.
执业牙科保健员供需之间明显的不平衡促使牙科行业组织向立法者施压，要求修订州执业法案。佐治亚州近期在这类立法方面的经历要求牙科保健教育工作者制定、实施并评估能增加现有牙科保健员数量的策略。本文旨在综述佐治亚州牙科保健教育工作者制定的策略，以满足佐治亚州议会拟议立法所引发的建议。佐治亚大学系统的校长要求牙科保健项目主任改善学生招募与留存情况，探讨在需求领域开展新项目的可行性，并研究改善牙科保健教育可及性的创新方法。牙科保健教师与其专业协会联合起来，动员校友和注册保健员，通过强调牙科保健职业的积极方面来提高公众意识，并组织一个能迅速传播立法信息的通讯网络。通过牙医和牙科保健员组织的个人及联合项目加强了学生招募工作。作为这些努力的结果，项目入学人数大幅增加，并且在一个需求领域设立了一个新项目。在全国范围内，牙科保健员正面临诸多挑战和问题，这些问题有可能削弱或消除他们作为受过教育且称职的健康专业人员的地位。最近，牙科和牙科保健教育工作者的注意力被吸引到了佐治亚州的立法活动上。
