Practice characteristics and service provision rates of dental hygienists in Australia

Abstract

Introduction: Dental hygienists (DHs) have been practising in Australia since the early 1970s. Objective: This study describes the clinical activity of Australian DHs. Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to members of two professional associations representing DHs. Practitioner characteristics, employment characteristics and clinical activity on a self-reported typical practice day were collected. The proportion of each service item of all services provided was estimated. Associations between practice characteristics and service provision were assessed by log-binomial regression models. Results: Adjusted response rate was 60.6%. Of the DHs included in analysis (n=341), 80% were employed in g..