Factors Associated with Fissure Sealant Delegation
Dentist Characteristics and Office Staffing Patterns
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13584604 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mahassen M Farghaly (0000-0002-8918-2837), W Paul Lang (University of Michigan, corresponding author), Marilyn W Woolfolk (University of Michigan), Barbara Wirth Faja (University of Michigan), Thomas L Ziemiecki (University of Michigan), Susan J Pritzel (Aurora Periodontics and Implant Dentistry) |
| Year | 1993 |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 246-252 |
| Publication date | 1993-12-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Public Health Dentistry (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-4006 • E-ISSN: 1752-7325 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1752-7325.1993.tb02712.x |
| PMID | 8258788 |
| OpenAlex | W1972250546 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 18 |
The purpose of this research was to identify dentist characteristics and dental office staffing patterns related to delegation of sealant applications. Results from a 1989 mailed survey were used to characterize Michigan general dentists (N = 300) who did or did not delegate sealant applications to auxiliaries and to identify factors associated with delegation. Nearly 50 percent of respondents were applying all sealants themselves. In offices that delegated the procedure, the mean proportion of sealants being applied by dentists was 39.9 percent. Registered dental hygienists were applying 51 percent, while registered dental assistants were applying 6.5 percent. Delegating dentists were more knowledgeable about sealant procedures, held more favorable attitudes, treated more young patients, placed more sealants, and were better informed about the legality of delegation according to the state practice act. Logistic regression analysis found that employing a registered dental hygienist was the most significant factor associated with sealant delegation, followed by employing a registered dental assistant. Findings suggest that dental auxiliaries, and particularly registered dental assistants, are underutilized for applying sealants. Approaches to increasing delegation of sealants may include changing dentists' traditional hiring patterns, highlighting the skills of auxiliaries such as the registered dental hygienist (RDH) and the registered dental assistant (RDA), and increasing awareness of legally allowable procedures that RDHs and RDAs can perform
Delegation · Dental Assistant · Family medicine · Management · Sealant · Staffing · Dental Education, Practice, Research · Dental Health and Care Utilization · Dentistry · Medicine · Nursing · Occupational health in dentistry
Production and Economic Contributions of Dental Hygienists
Clinical Quality and Delegation in a Private Dental Office Utilizing Expanded‐Function Dental Auxiliaries
Dental Hygienists' Knowledge, Opinions, and Use of Pit and Fissure Sealants
Educating Dentists about Fissure Sealants
Estimates of the Effects of a Statewide Sealant Initiative on Dentists' Knowledge and Attitudes
Dental Sealant Usage in Virginia
The Use of Pit and Fissure Sealants in Private Practice
Measurement of Effects of a State Dental Practice Act on Potential Delegation and Production in General Dental Private Practice
Time to Adoption of an Innovation by Dentists in Private Practice
Pit and fissure sealant use in private practice
Delegation of expanded functions to dental assistants and hygienists
| Highly cited | No |
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