Clinical associate professor and the Coordinator of the Bachelor of Science Degree Program.
Adjunct clinical associate professor and the previous Curriculum Coordinator of Dental Hygiene; both in the College of Dentistry, New York University, NY, NY, USA.
J Dent Hyg. 2021 Dec;95(6):46-53.
A growing body of evidence indicates the baccalaureate degree is needed for dental hygiene (DH) graduates to address the changes in oral health delivery and health systems, develop the societal expectations of a professional, and practice to the full extent of their education. Transitioning from the associate to the baccalaureate as the minimum entry-level degree in DH will better prepare graduates to address the increasingly complex oral health care needs of the public. The higher degree prepares the dental hygienist to serve in roles that will improve access to high-quality care and allow for interprofessional collaboration as a part of a health care team. A higher entry-level degree is also needed to advance the public perception of DH and its recognition as a unique health care profession. However, reported student barriers to the entry-level baccalaureate degree include time and funding constraints, and the belief that the associate degree education is sufficient for clinical practice coupled with a lack of perceived value/benefit of the higher-level degree. This narrative literature review examines relevant policies, standards, and survey data to assess the support for the baccalaureate degree as minimum entry-level education in DH. As the roles for dental hygienists expand to meet the needs of the changing population demographics, the health care market demands for a baccalaureate degree educated dental hygienist will follow. More research is needed to document the value of the baccalaureate-prepared dental hygienist.
越来越多的证据表明，为了使牙科卫生（DH）毕业生能够应对口腔健康服务和卫生系统的变化，满足社会对专业人员的期望，并充分发挥其教育水平，学士学位是必要的。将副学士学位转变为 DH 的最低入学水平将使毕业生更好地为满足公众日益复杂的口腔健康护理需求做好准备。更高的学位使牙科保健师能够胜任各种角色，从而改善获得高质量护理的机会，并允许作为医疗团队的一部分进行跨专业合作。更高的入学水平也需要提高公众对 DH 的看法及其作为独特的医疗保健专业的认可。然而，报告的学生进入学士学位的障碍包括时间和资金限制，以及对副学士学位教育足以满足临床实践的信念，再加上对更高水平学位的价值/益处缺乏认识。本叙事文献综述审查了相关政策、标准和调查数据，以评估学士学位作为 DH 最低入学水平教育的支持程度。随着牙科保健师的角色扩大以满足不断变化的人口统计数据的需求，对受过学士学位教育的牙科保健师的医疗保健市场需求也将随之增加。需要更多的研究来记录具有学士学位的牙科保健师的价值。
