Job satisfaction among dental therapists in South Africa

Objectives: This article forms part of a larger research project on the dental therapy profession in South Africa. The objective of this study was to determine the level of job satisfaction among dental therapists trained at one South African university. Methods: This study was conducted using the qualitative research approach, where purposive and convenience sampling was used to select interviewees. They were asked a single question: “Do you think that dental therapists in South Africa are satisfied within their present careers?” The narrative data was interpreted using thematic analysis, and the data was validated by using the markers of trustworthiness. Results: All stakeholders believed that dental therapists trained at this university were not satisfied in the private and public sectors. In the private sector, they expressed frustration with their limited scope of practice. In the public service, lack of posts, poorly functioning dental facilities, and inadequate remuneration caused high levels of dissatisfaction. Many dental therapists chose this profession as a stepping stone to dentistry. Conclusions: The roles and scope of practice of all members of the oral health team needs to be redefined within the context of the primary health care approach. Universities need to recruit students appropriately to fulfill their role within this team. Dental services in the public sector need to be upgraded to meet the oral health needs of the country.     

The working practices and job satisfaction of dental nurses in Trinidad and Tobago: findings of a national survey

OBJECTIVE: To describe the working practices and level of job satisfaction of dental nurses in Trinidad and Tobago. DESIGN: Postal survey. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty enrolled and practising dental nurses in Trinidad and Tobago were surveyed, 38 replied (76%). OUTCOMES MEASURES: Current working practice, career breaks, continuing education, job satisfaction. RESULTS: All dental nurses were employed by the Ministry of Health or Regional Health Authorities. Most performed a wide range of clinical and administrative duties along with delivering dental health education. Forty five per cent of respondents had taken a career break since qualifying with maternity and child rearing being the most common reason (94%). Sixty six per cent had attended a continuing education course in the previous year, with this most frequently being a dental refresher course. Satisfaction with pre-qualification training was high but current job satisfaction was low. Concerns with working conditions and career paths were identified. CONCLUSION: Dental nurses in Trinidad and Tobago expressed confidence in their ability to perform their current duties and showed interest in continuing education. Job satisfaction was low.     

The working practices and job satisfaction of dental therapists: findings of a national survey

OBJECTIVE: To describe the working practices and level of job satisfaction of dental therapists in the United Kingdom. DESIGN: Postal questionnaire survey of 380 dental therapists registered with the General Dental Council. RESULTS: Only 13% of dental therapists are also qualified as dental hygienists. Around 75% of those registered with the GDC are currently employed as dental therapists. Of those not currently working as dental therapists most were either working as hygienists or caring for their children at home. Over 90% of those working as therapists are employed within the Community Dental Service. About half work part-time. Part-time working is more common among respondents with childcare responsibilities. Most dental therapists are employed in clinical roles, and perform a limited range of treatments. A small proportion appear to have been asked to undertake duties which are not currently legal for them to perform. Three-quarters of those who were currently working as dental therapists had taken career breaks at some point, the most common reasons for such a break being a change in career and/or child rearing. The respondents expressed a high level of job satisfaction, particularly among older dental therapists. CONCLUSIONS: Dental therapy offers a potentially rewarding career in terms of job satisfaction. Any planned increase in the numbers of training places for dental therapists should their role be expanded, for example to include working in general dental practice, would need to take cognisance of the high rate of part-time working and the proportion who could be expected to take career breaks at some point in their working lives, as is the case with female dental practitioners.     

Utilisation of dental services in Turkey: a cross-sectional survey

AIM: To assess the factors affecting the utilisation of dental service in Turkey. METHOD: A cross-sectional study using a sample of 866 adults randomly selected from nine provinces, collecting data on socio-demographic characteristics, frequency of dental visits and attitudes toward dental services in face-to-face interviews. RESULTS: 40.4% of adults had visited a dentist within the previous year. Logistic regression analysis showed that gender and educational level were significant factors affecting the utilisation of dental services, with women using dental services significantly more than men and those having higher education compared to those having low education. Satisfaction from the services of the private dental offices and private hospitals was higher than from state hospitals. Age, reasons for dental visit and the place of the last visit were found to be the most significant predictors of satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Utilisation of dental services is low amongst Turkish adults. Women and individuals with higher levels of education use dental services more than others. The majority of the people prefer private dental offices, where the patient satisfaction is high.     

Development of a measure of job satisfaction for dentists and dental auxiliaries

This paper describes the development of a multidimensional, 38-item measure of job satisfaction appropriate for dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants. Items were grouped into the following 12 subscales: income, recognition, opportunity to develop professionally, time to develop professionally, responsibility, non-patient tasks, staff relations, quality of care, leisure time, fatigue, time pressure and general satisfaction. The measure was developed from a set of 45 items included in questionnaires administered to dentists and staff of 126 dental practices in Washington State, USA. Questionnaires were returned by 117, 121 and 106 dentists; 69, 80, and 82 hygienists; and 322, 329, and 320 assistants, respectively, in each of the 3 yr (1979, 1980, 1981). Factor analysis (principal components analysis with varimax rotation) plus categorization of items by a panel of professionals were used to initially group items into subscales. Contribution to internal consistency was the final criterion for an item's inclusion in a subscale. Internal consistency reliability of subscales ranged from 0.68 to 0.95. Statistically significant relationships were found between individual job satisfaction subscales and intent to change job for hygienists and assistants.     

Public awareness and social acceptability of dental therapists

Abstract: Objectives: To investigate public awareness and the social acceptability of the use of dental therapists in dental care. Method: A telephone survey of a representative quota sample of 500 adults (>18 years of age) in South Yorkshire, England. Results: Fifteen per cent of participants were aware of dental therapists as a professional group, of whom only three people correctly identified their ‘permitted duties’. Those without problems of access to care were more likely to report awareness (P < 0.05). Fifty‐seven per cent were willing to receive simple restorative treatment from a therapist, with acceptability predicted by being younger [OR 1.016 (95% CI: 1.015–1.017)] and having a perceived need for treatment [OR 1.301 (1.053–1.607)]. Fewer were willing to allow a therapist to restore a child’s tooth (47%, P < 0.001, test for paired proportions) with acceptability predicted by being younger [OR 1.016 (1.015–1.017)] and being an irregular attender at the dentist [OR 1.309 (1.138–1.697)]. Forty per cent of participants expected to pay less for treatment provided by therapists with the acceptability of equal costs predicted by having access to care [OR 1.346 (1.017–1.781)]. Conclusion: These findings have implications for the use of dental therapists. They question patients’ and the public’s ability to provide informed consent for the treatment provided by them and identify a need for education of the public on the training and competence of therapists and the rationale for employing skill‐mix in dentistry.     

Characteristics of employment and job satisfaction in nontraditional dental hygiene practice settings

Little is known concerning the employment characteristics of hygienists practicing in nontraditional settings. Respondents were identified through screening (n = 38,380) a listing of the entire population of hygienists licensed in the United States. The screening identified 1,301 hygienists practicing in nontraditional settings. These hygienists were mailed comprehensive questionnaires; completed questionnaires were returned by 84.3 percent of the hygienists. Data were collected describing hygienists' reasons for seeking employment in nontraditional settings, their sources of information concerning job opportunities in nontraditional settings, benefits, and job satisfaction. The main source of information concerning employment opportunities in nontraditional settings was "word of mouth." Hygienists were motivated to seek employment in nontraditional settings primarily by a desire for a more challenging position and personal satisfaction. The hygienists were overwhelmingly satisfied with all aspects of nontraditional employment except opportunities for advancement. Respondents were found to receive standard benefits similar to those of employees in other industries.     

Work stress, job satisfaction and emotional well-being among Canadian dental assistants

Abstract Although dentistry is considered to be a stressful occupation, few data exist on work stress among dental assistants. In a previous paper, the extent and nature of work stress among this group was described and linked to a behavioural outcome: namely, intentions to change jobs or seek work outside of dentistry. In this paper the psychological outcomes of work stress, in the form of job satisfaction and emotional well-being, are examined. Using data collected by a mail survey, it was revealed that the main sources of dissatisfaction for dental assistants were low incomes, lack of opportunity to develop professionally and a lack of recognition. Almost one-in-live had scores on a standard measure of emotional distress, which indicated a cause for concern. Work stress proved to be a significant predictor of job satisfaction, and work stress and job satisfaction emerged as significant predictors of emotional well-being. Social support while at work showed direct and interactive effects on job satisfaction hut not emotional well-being. Role ambiguity, under-utilization of skills and low self-esteem emerged as important issues. These results are of interest theoretically and have important implications for the way denial practice and dentistry are organized.     

Dental service utilisation among adults in a European developing country: findings from a national health survey

Background: The objective was to estimate the frequency of visits to a dentist and to assess the impact of determinants on dental care utilisation among adults in the Republic of Srpska (RS), Bosnia and Herzegovina. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the 2010 National Health Survey performed in the RS. A total of 4,128 adults (≥18 years) were interviewed in their homes. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between demographic characteristics, socio-economic characteristics, health behaviours, self-rated health, self-reported noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and dental care utilisation. Results: Only 20% of all respondents reported a visit to a dentist in the year preceding the interview. Younger respondents (OR = 0.97), women (OR = 1.30–1.39), urban dwellers (OR = 1.41–1.61), those who were employed (OR = 1.20) and those who self-reported NCDs (OR = 1.32–1.33) more frequently utilised dental services. The opposite was true for those in the low wealth index group (OR = 0.79), persons with a low (OR = 0.31) and middle (OR = 0.48) level of education and people who self-rated their health as average (OR = 0.76–0.80). Conclusion: The present study revealed a low frequency of visits to a dentist, especially for preventive oral health care. It also confirmed demographic, socio-economic and health-related differences in dental-care utilisation in RS. To minimise those differences, systemic approaches aimed at increasing access to dental care could be an important step. Oral health-promotion policies need to be adopted in the RS.Key words: Oral health, dental services, socio-economic status, adults, Republic of Srpska     

Job satisfaction of registered dental practitioners

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to measure job satisfaction among registered clinical dentists so as to identify issues which may influence recruitment and retention of dentists in active clinical practice. METHODS: A questionnaire measuring dimensions of job satisfaction was mailed to a stratified random sample of 80 private and 80 public sector dentists selected from the 1999 Victorian Dental Register. RESULTS: An adjusted response rate of 60 per cent was achieved (n = 87). Analyses showed significant differences (ANOVA; p < 0.05) in levels of satisfaction for various dimensions of job satisfaction by gender, age group and practice type. Differences in job satisfaction between male and female dentists related to the personal time dimension. Differences in satisfaction between dentists of different age groups were attributable to six dimensions: relationships with colleagues, relationships with patients, relationships with staff, personal time, community and administrative responsibilities. Differences between levels of satisfaction among private and public dentists related to the autonomy, relationships with patients, pay and resources dimensions. CONCLUSION: There are various dimensions of job satisfaction that may be pertinent to issues influencing recruitment and retention of dentists. Differences that exist between levels of job satisfaction among private and public sector dentists, between male and female dentists and dentists of different age groups need to be addressed in order to improve recruitment and retention rates of dentists in active clinical practice in different sectors of the dental care system.     

ij��ǻ�������ﻼ��ҽ�Ʒ�������ȵ��������

目的了解和评价口腔诊所就诊患者对医疗服务的满意度。方法选择河北省保定市北市区世林口腔诊所作为调查单位,对就诊患者进行现场整群调查,采用“一对一”的调查方式,以即刻答题方式完成问卷。结果不同年龄就诊患者对口腔医疗环境、辅助人员服务态度、口腔医生服务态度、口腔医生医疗质量、口腔医疗费用、口腔医疗设备的满意度差异均无统计学意义（P〉0．05）;不同性别和不同文化程度就诊患者对医疗费用的满意度以及不同收入水平就诊患者对医疗设备的满意度差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。结论口腔诊所就诊患者对医疗费用的满意度最低,提示我们要改进医疗费用管理,全面提高就诊患者医疗服务满意度。