Sexual Character: Beyond Technique to Intimacy

Reviewed Book: Dawn, Marva J. Sexual Character: Beyond Technique to Intimacy. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993

Eyes Wide Open: Spiritual Resources for Healing from Childhood Sexual Abuse

Reviewed Book: Cummings, Louise. Eyes Wide Open: Spiritual Resources for Healing from Childhood Sexual Abuse. Winfield, BC: Wood Lake Books, 1994

The Prevalence of Burnout Among Entry-Level Dental Hygiene Program Directors

Purpose: Workplace burnout in academia is a problem that affects career satisfaction and longevity. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of burnout among entry-level dental hygiene program directors. Methods: The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) survey was used to determine prevalence of burnout in 325 dental hygiene program directors from across the United States. The survey was disseminated electronically. The CBI contains 19 questions that measure overall, personal, work-related, and client/student-related burnout on a five-point Likert type scale. The survey also included nine demographic and three open-ended questions related to burnout. Descriptive statistics, one sample t-tests, and one-way ANOVA tests were used to analyze the data. Results: One hundred twenty-seven dental hygiene program directors completed the survey for a 39.1% response rate. Most participants (62.2%, n=79) indicated moderate to high burnout on the personal burnout subscale, approximately one half (51.2%, n=65) on the work-related burnout subscale, and one third (33.1%, n=42) on the client/student-related burnout subscale. No statistically significant differences were found when comparing mean scores between directors of two-year and four-year program or between participants under age 50 and those 50 years of age and older (p-values\u3e0.05). Program directors with teaching workloads of 51-60% had significantly lower burnout on the work-related burnout subscale when compared to participants with teaching workloads of 31-40% (p=0.045). Participants with the lowest workload allocations for administrative duties had higher overall mean burnout scores. Conclusion: Results from this study suggest one out of two dental hygiene program directors have symptoms of some type of burnout with the highest prevalence rate in the personal burnout subscale. Findings underscore the need for further research to identify stressors that lead to burnout as well as identify prevention strategies that promote a healthier work climate for dental hygiene program administrators

Color-Blind Racial Attitudes in Practicing Dental Hygienists

Purpose: Individuals who subscribe to a color-blind racial ideology may not be aware of differences or differential treatment based on race which may be related to racial inequality in the delivery of oral health care. The purpose of this study was to determine color-blind racial attitudes in a convenience sample of clinical dental hygienists. Methods: A convenience sample of practicing dental hygienists recruited through social media via snowball sampling was invited to participate in this cross-sectional survey study. The Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS), a valid and reliable measuring instrument, was used to determine unawareness of racial attitudes and stereotyping. Three subscales (Racial Privilege, Institutional Discrimination, and Blatant Racial Issues) were measured by the survey. Descriptive statistics and separate one-way between-subjects ANOVA were used to analyze the data. Results: Two-hundred and thirty-three (n = 233) dental hygienists in clinical practice completed the survey. ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences in overall CoBRAS scores when comparing age groups and ethnicities. Participants aged 18-29 had significantly lower overall CoBRAS scores compared to participants aged 60 and over (x = 49.41, x = 59.17, respectively; p = .019). African American participants scored significantly lower on overall CoBRAS scores compared only to those in the Other ethnicity category (x = 42.27, x = 62.08, respectively; p = .029). Conclusion: Participants possessed moderate levels of color-blindness, suggesting unawareness of racism and a need to understand the implications of racism as a means of promoting equity and improve oral health care delivery. Findings emphasize a need for more research examining color-blind ideology and how it affects oral health care delivery to diverse patient populations

Color-Blind Racial Attitudes in Dental Hygiene Students: A Pilot Study

Purpose: Color-blind racial attitudes and biases have been linked to racial prejudice which may potentially affect dental hygiene care to diverse patients. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the color-blind racial attitudes of dental hygiene students. Methods: A 20-item, Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS) electronic survey was sent to a convenience sample of 41 first-year and 30 second-year dental hygiene students (n=71) in a dental hygiene program in Virginia. The CoBRAS instrument measures contemporary racial attitudes and stereotyping in three subcategories: Unawareness of Racial Privilege, Institutional Discrimination, and Blatant Racial Issues. CoBRAS scores range from 20-120, with higher scores indicating elevated levels of denial of racism. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: Of the 71 students invited to participate, 70 completed the survey (n=70) for a 98.6% response rate. The majority of respondents were White females (70%, 98% respectively), aged 18-29 (90%). Results indicated an overall average CoBRAS score of 64.89. No statistically significant findings were identified between the two groups in regards to overall scores (p\u3e0.05). Conclusion: A majority of the participants in this pilot study possessed moderate levels of color-blind racial attitudes, suggesting rejection of the concept of racism. Color-blind racial attitudes and biases have been linked to a lack of awareness of White privilege. Further education in this area may foster improved interactions with diverse patient populations

The Effect of Magnification Loupes on Dental Hygienists\u27 Posture While Exploring

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of dental magnification loupes on posture during instrumentation. Methods: A convenience sample of 27 right-handed dental hygienists, with no prior history of injuries or disabilities of the head, neck, or trunk region, enrolled in the study. Baseline posture calibration was taken and tri-axial accelerometers were placed on four locations of the head and trunk (occipital region of head; cervical vertebrae C5; thoracic vertebrae T5; lumbar vertebrae L1) to measure acceleration and the orientation of the body to gravity. Participants were randomly assigned to wear self-supplied magnification loupes during either the first or second half of the session. Dental chair mounted typodonts, prepared with artificial calculus, were used to represent a simulated oral environment. Participants were asked to explore all areas of the mouth using an ODU 11/12 explorer. Mean accelerations of the three axes were used to compute average forward/backward (AP) and side to side (ML) tilt of each accelerometer recorded during the instrumentation sessions. An end-user opinion survey was completed by each participant at the conclusion of the session. Results: No statistically significant differences in posture were revealed between the sessions with the participants wearing their loupes and not wearing loupes. However, data from the end-user survey indicate that 74% of all the participants strongly agreed that magnification loupes made exploring easier and 67% strongly agreed that they felt that magnification loupes improved their posture. Conclusion: While the majority of participants perceived that their magnification loupes enhanced their posture and made exploring easier, data from this study provided little evidence to suggest that wearing loupes leads to improved body orientation. Future research needs to examine the declination angle of ergonomic loupes and its relationship to neck and trunk flexion

Attitudes of Virginia Dental Hygienists Towards Dental Therapists

Purpose: The state of Virginia faces a reported dental health professional shortage affecting approximately half of its residents.The purpose of this study was to assess the opinions and attitudes of dental hygienists in Virginia toward a mid-level dental provider model, dental therapists (DTs), and to determine whether current education level and years of practice affected opinions regarding the education requirements for DTs. Methods: A 22-item questionnaire was distributed online to a convenience sample of Virginia dental hygienists (n=910). Items assessed attitudes of participants toward the DT using a seven-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Participants were asked to provide demographic information and to respond to open-ended questions regarding potential advantages and/or disadvantages to DTs. Independent samples t-tests and chi-square analyses were used to analyze the data. Results: A response rate of 22% was obtained (n=200). Most respondents agreed a DT was needed in Virginia (M=5.78, p\u3c0.001) and supported the concept that dental therapy could be a solution to the problem of access to care issues in Virginia (M=5.97, p\u3c0.001). While most respondents agreed it was important for Virginia to adopt legislation for a dental therapy model (M=5.89, p\u3c0.001), most disagreed that DTs’ practice should be restricted to acknowledged underserved areas in the state (M=3.19, p\u3c0.001). No significant association was found between years of practice and opinions toward education requirements for DTs; however, a significant association was found between current education level and opinions toward education requirements for DTs (Fisher’s Exact Test=34.17, df=9, p=.000, Cramer’s V=.28). Conclusion: Results revealed Virginia dental hygienists had overwhelmingly positive attitudes toward DTs. Research with a larger sample could provide more insight into opinions of the Virginia dental hygienist population regarding this mid-level oral health care provider

Attitudes of Virginia Dentists Toward Dental Therapists: A Pilot Study

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to determine perceptions of Virginia (VA) dentists toward mid-level dental providers, specifically dental therapists (DT), and determine whether membership in the American Dental Association (ADA) membership affected attitudes. Methods: A convenience sample of 1208 dentists in the state of VA were invited to participate in an electronic survey. The instrument consisted of 11 Likert type scale questions assessing attitudes toward DTs. Additional items included the appropriate level of education and supervision of a DT, and five demographic questions. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. A one-sample t-test was used to determine statistical significance for the Likert scale items. Results:An overall response rate of 12% was obtained (n=145). Most respondents were male (73%), members of the ADA (84%), and over the age of 40 (65%). Results suggest that most participants did not perceive (M=1.90, p Conclusions: Virginia dentists surveyed did not perceive a need for DTs and generally reported unfavorable attitudes towards this mid-level provider. Findings support the need for more research with a larger, more diverse sample population

Online single particle analysis of ice particle residuals from mountain-top mixed-phase clouds using laboratory derived particle type assignment

In situ single particle analysis of ice particle residuals (IPRs) and out-of-cloud aerosol particles was conducted by means of laser ablation mass spectrometry during the intensive INUIT-JFJ/CLACE campaign at the high alpine research station Jungfraujoch (3580 m a.s.l.) in January–February 2013. During the 4-week campaign more than 70 000 out-of-cloud aerosol particles and 595 IPRs were analyzed covering a particle size diameter range from 100 nm to 3 µm. The IPRs were sampled during 273 h while the station was covered by mixed-phase clouds at ambient temperatures between −27 and −6 °C. The identification of particle types is based on laboratory studies of different types of biological, mineral and anthropogenic aerosol particles. The outcome of these laboratory studies was characteristic marker peaks for each investigated particle type. These marker peaks were applied to the field data. In the sampled IPRs we identified a larger number fraction of primary aerosol particles, like soil dust (13 ± 5 %) and minerals (11 ± 5 %), in comparison to out-of-cloud aerosol particles (2.4 ± 0.4 and 0.4 ± 0.1 %, respectively). Additionally, anthropogenic aerosol particles, such as particles from industrial emissions and lead-containing particles, were found to be more abundant in the IPRs than in the out-of-cloud aerosol. In the out-of-cloud aerosol we identified a large fraction of aged particles (31 ± 5 %), including organic material and secondary inorganics, whereas this particle type was much less abundant (2.7 ± 1.3 %) in the IPRs. In a selected subset of the data where a direct comparison between out-of-cloud aerosol particles and IPRs in air masses with similar origin was possible, a pronounced enhancement of biological particles was found in the IPRs