Evaluation of community dental health curricula by baccalaureate dental hygiene graduates.

Three groups of University of Iowa dental hygiene graduates, designed as the Traditional, Transitional, and Experimental Groups, who experienced three types of curricula with increasingly greater emphasis on community dental health were surveyed. The purpose of the study was to determine the correlation between curricular emphasis in community dental health and graduate's perceptions of the adequacy of their educational preparation for public health employment, the percentage employed in public health programs, and their interest in pursuing public health employment in the future. 1. The results of the survey indicated that curricular emphasis was associated with graduates' perceptions of adequacy for public health roles. Specific findings of the study included: a. a greater percentage of the Experimental Group perceived that their education prepared them for state, county, and local public health employment. b. a greater percentage of the Transitional and Experimental Groups perceived and that their education prepared them for employment in elementary and secondary schools. 2. Curricular emphasis did not appear to affect employment patterns of this group of graduates. Public health employment experiences were not significantly different among groups. 3. Interest in future public health employment was affected by curricular emphasis. Findings indicated that a significantly greater percentage of Experimental subjects were interested in future employment positions in state, county, and local public health systems, hospitals, and dental hygiene programs.