Background. Dental hygienists can increase dentists’ productivity, yet nationwide, one-third of dentists do not employ a hygienist. The profession needs more information on the characteristics of these dentists and their reasons for not employing hygienists.
Methods. The author used a 2003 survey of California dentists and a logistic regression analysis to assess factors independently associated with dentists’ employment of hygienists. These factors included dentists’ personal, practice, population, productivity and patient care characteristics. She also assessed characteristics of dentists who did not employ hygienists and their reasons for not doing so.
Results. Dentists who worked full time, employed more administrative personnel, had more operatories, had longer appointments, had more income from private payers and had more elderly patients were more likely to employ hygienists than were dentists with alternative characteristics. Graduates of dental schools outside the United States and those with fewer white patients were less likely to employ hygienists. Reasons for not employing hygienists included personal choice, high costs and not having a sufficient volume of work.
Conclusions. The author’s findings suggested that in employing hygienists, dentists consider preferences, practice income and patient demand, among other factors. Further examination of reasons for employing hygienists is warranted.
Practice Implications. Hiring a hygienist increases a dental practice’s patient capacity, yet not all dentists can or choose to do so. Policies aimed at increasing dental workforce capacity must take into account dentists’ characteristics and preferences.
