Quality assurance and dental hygiene

Area of Science:

• Dental Hygiene
• Healthcare Quality Assurance
• Professional Regulation

Background:

• Dental hygiene in Canada has evolved from an emerging occupation to a regulated health profession.
• Key achievements include self-regulation and a national code of ethics.
• However, current quality assurance mechanisms, such as mandatory continuing education, are often outdated and ineffective.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the evolution and achievements of dental hygiene in Canada.
• To discuss developments in healthcare quality assurance.
• To evaluate current quality assurance practices in Canadian dental hygiene and identify challenges for improvement.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of healthcare quality assurance developments.
• Analysis of achievements in Canadian dental hygiene.
• Discussion of current quality assurance mechanisms in dental hygiene practice.

Main Results:

• Dental hygiene in Canada has seen significant professional growth and achievements.
• Many dental hygienists still rely on traditional, potentially ineffective quality assurance methods.
• There is a recognized need for valid, reliable, and effective quality assurance activities.

Conclusions:

• Dental hygiene in Canada faces challenges in implementing modern, effective quality assurance.
• Ensuring competent, ethical, and safe patient care requires updated quality assurance strategies.
• Barriers to incorporating suitable quality assurance activities into daily practice must be addressed.