Experiences and characteristics of men working in dental hygiene

There is limited research available about men working in the profession of dental hygiene. The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics and experiences of men in dental hygiene.

Cross-sectional survey research was conducted with a purposive sample of male dental hygienists (n = 288). Participants were recruited via social media and snowball sampling. The survey was developed based on nursing literature and validated with a panel of experts with a final S-CVI of 98.5%. Descriptive statistics and correlations were used for data analysis.

The completion rate was 80.9% (n = 233). Results revealed participants were more likely to be White (59.7%), hold an associate's entry-level dental hygiene degree (60.9%) and work in a private practice dental setting (73.4%). Sixty-one per cent reported full-time employment, and 50% was satisfied or very satisfied with benefits offered by their place of employment. All three sources of gender discrimination (patients, co-workers and employers) were related to experiencing a desire to leave the field. Experiencing gender discrimination from patients indicated a higher likelihood of desire to leave the field (49%) comparatively (33%), χ²  = 5.94, p = 0.02. Half of the respondents reported (56.7%) patients had refused to see them based on their gender.

This research provides a snapshot of demographics and professional characteristics of male dental hygienists. Gender discrimination from patients emerged as an area that needs to be addressed in practice settings. It will be important to identify ways to make the profession more inviting to encourage men to join the profession.