Abstract
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify dentists’ perception of work performance and scope of work of dental hygienists. Methods: A phenomenological research method was applied for the proper role performance on March 1st, 2021 and June 10th to investigation eight dentists running their own dental clinics located in Gwangju and Daejeon metropolitan city. Results: The legal scope of dental hygienists has not been properly recognized. Conflicts have been experienced due to problems between dental hygienists and staff and their differences in knowledge or proficiency in their work. The performance of dental hygienists has been evaluated based on the size of the dental clinic’s profit. Reviews and improvements in dental hygienists’ scope of work and new business regulations are required. Conclusions: Consequently, it is recommended that the dental business industry carry out directional discussions and negotiations to review dental hygienists’ scope of practice and bring improvements so that their work can be, in the end, be stably performed within the legal system.
Figures & Tables
Table 1. Characteristics of participants
