Comprehensive Competence of Dental Hygienists: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review

Dental hygienist's original purpose was to prevent oral diseases and promote oral health. Over the decades, the profession has evolved massively and its role in oral healthcare has increased. The aim of this study was to identify and describe the areas of competence of dental hygienists internationally, including clinical competence and other requirements set by a diverse working environment.

This is a systematic mixed-method review that examined international studies. The literature search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, CINAHL (EBSCO), Scopus, Web of Science and Medic. The review followed the JBI protocol and a narrative analysis was performed to analyse the data. The qualitative and quantitative studies in the review were analysed and reported separately.

The review included 54 studies. A total of 23,216 dental hygienists participated in the studies. The methodological quality of the studies was mostly moderate or good. The areas of competence for dental hygienists are primarily related to clinical and professional competence and knowledge. Dental hygienists' comprehensive competence also included patient guidance, interaction, ethical and cultural competence, multiprofessional collaboration, lifelong learning, application of evidence-based knowledge and safe working practices. In many respects, dental hygienists' competence was significantly linked to education and clinical experience.

Clinical skills and knowledge were at the core of a dental hygienist's competence, but they are only part of the whole. Other workplace skills also play a major role. In addition to individual skills, dental hygienist education should focus more on comprehensive learning methods that simulate real-world situations.