Preceptorship: the impact on Georgia dental hygiene education

The perceived imbalance between the supply of and demand for practicing dental hygienists has encouraged organized dentistry to pressure legislators for revisions in state practice acts. Georgia's recent experience with this type of legislation has required dental hygiene educators to develop, implement, and evaluate strategies that would increase the pool of available dental hygienists. The purpose of this paper is to present a review of strategies that were developed by Georgia dental hygiene educators to meet the recommendations spurred by proposed legislation in the General Assembly of Georgia. Dental hygiene program directors were charged by the chancellor of the University System of Georgia to improve student recruitment and retention, to explore the feasibility of new programs in areas of need, and to examine innovative ways to improve access to dental hygiene education. Dental hygiene faculties united with their professional association to activate alumni and registered hygienists, to improve public awareness by accentuating positive aspects of dental hygiene careers, and to organize a communication network whereby legislative information could be disseminated rapidly. Student recruitment was strengthened through individual and joint programs organized by dentists and dental hygienists. In response to these efforts, program enrollments were increased substantially, and a new program was established in an area of need. Nationally, dental hygienists are facing many challenges and problems that threaten to weaken or eliminate their status as educated and competent health professionals. Recently, dental and dental hygiene educators' attention was drawn to legislative activity in Georgia.