Abstract
Objectives: The objective of this research is to summarize the status of education for dental hygienist on subjects related to preventive dentistry and public health dentistry. Methods: Survey was done by questionnaire through nation-wide dental hygiene schools. Questionnaire items were related to information on preventive dentistry and public health dentistry education including topic course name, allocated semesters, credit and the major of the professor who teaches the subject. Forty-eight out of 51 schools responded. Results: Out of 127 average credits of dental hygiene, preventive dentistry related courses were about 4% (5.4 credits) and public health dentistry related courses were about 8% (10.6 credits). There were an average of 4 full-time professors, and among them, 3 professors were dental hygienists in 3-year-course dental hygiene schools and 4 professors were dentists in 4-year-course dental hygiene schools. About 80 percent of professors were having academic degree which is not related to preventive or public health dentistry. Conclusion: In order to meet the needs of increasing social needs for dental hygienists to perform preventive and public health dentistry, there is a need for standardization and strengthening of related courses. And also, there are needs for enhancing communication between professors in charge of related course and academic institutions. Supplementary education can be the one of those enhanced communication.