Working practices and job satisfaction of Victorian dental hygienists

BACKGROUND: Increasing demand for dental services and a projected shortage in the oral health workforce in Victoria has focused attention on dental hygienists as one mechanism for increasing the supply of dental services. Understanding the dental hygienist workforce is essential in order to plan effectively for the future delivery of dental services in Victoria. METHODS: A postal survey of a random sample of Victorian dental hygienists was undertaken in 2006. Data on hygienists' demographic characteristics, current dental practice, history of career breaks, aspects of clinical practice and job satisfaction were collected. RESULTS: A response rate of 77 per cent was achieved. A total of 94.0 per cent of hygienists were currently working as a dental hygienist, working an average of 28.7 hours per week. Younger hygienists worked longer hours than their older colleagues. Career breaks were common, with 44.8 per cent reporting a career break of greater than one month, predominantly for child rearing, with a mean career break of 20.1 months. Hygienists reported a high level of satisfaction with most aspects of their employment. CONCLUSIONS: Victorian hygienists worked predominantly in private practices in metropolitan Melbourne, providing a range of preventive and periodontal services. Understanding the working patterns of dental hygienists is critical as hygienist numbers expand in the future, in order to undertake thorough evidence-based workforce planning.