Abstract
A disparity exists in the educational qualifications of dental assistants working in
various public and private institutions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study was
to assess the influence of professional and personal characteristics on job satisfaction
among dental assistants. A cross-sectional survey was performed among dental assistants
using a 24-item self-administered questionnaire. Multinomial logistic regression was used
to assess the relationship between overall job satisfaction and other variables. The
overall response rate was 72.1%. Factor analysis suggested that five underlying factors
were related to job satisfaction. The mean score for overall job satisfaction was 3.86
(satisfied) out of 5. Among the work environment factors, the highest mean score, 4.26
(satisfied), was obtained for quality of service, and the lowest mean score, 2.78
(neutral), was obtained for the perception of income. The income and general prospects of
the profession was significantly associated with overall job satisfaction. This study
suggests that for dental assistants, professional and personal life, quality of service,
perception of income and prestige and self-respect are important factors for job
satisfaction. Despite differences in professional formation standards, in general, the
study participants were considerably satisfied with their jobs.
Introduction
The need and demand for health care have exceeded the capacity of the established
professions to provide full, comprehensive and appropriate services, while also taking into
account the prevention of disease. This overwhelming situation emphasizes the importance of
allied and complementary professionals in dentistry, as in any other health service1). Dental assistants are one of the most
important members of the dental health care workforce and enhance the efficiency of the
dentist in the delivery of dental care to patients. They form an integral part of the
dentist’s clinical regime for a successful general practice2). A variety of training programs in regions around the world prepare
dental assistants for clinical practice. Some programs include a bachelor’s degree in dental
assisting, while others terminate with a registered diploma and certificate. The ongoing
research linking oral health and general health will likely continue to amplify the demand
for preventive dental services. Accordingly, dentists will continue to hire more dental
assistants to complete their routine tasks, thus allowing the dentist to see more patients
in their daily practice and spend their time on more complex procedures. Advances in the
field of dentistry will also require more satisfied dental assistants in dental practices
throughout the world.
The inherent nature of the profession in dentistry does not come without challenges. Dental
assistants perform a wide range of patient care, office and laboratory duties. A brief
description of the sort of work the dental assistants are eligible to perform in Saudi
Arabia4) is essential to contextualize
our findings. Dental assistants often schedule and verify appointments, greet patients, take
and record dental and medical histories and vital signs, keep treatment records updated,
send bills, receive payments, complete insurance forms and order dental supplies and
materials. They also sterilize and disinfect instruments and equipment, prepare tray setups
for dental procedures and instruct patients on postoperative and general oral hygiene and
plaque control measures. They may also work directly with the patients to make them as
relaxed as possible in the dental chair and prepare them for treatment. They work alongside
the dentist and hand instruments and materials to the dentist, and they keep the patients’
mouth dry and clear using suction or other devices during examination and treatment
procedures. Additional duties vary depending on the respective regulations of different
countries and how involved the dentist requires the assistant to be. Under the dentist’s
direction, some dental assistants prepare materials for making impressions for study casts
and restorations, expose dental diagnostic radiographs and process dental x-ray films. They
may even remove sutures, apply anesthetics, take out excess filling cement, place rubber
dams on teeth to isolate them for treatment and apply protective coatings of fluoride or
desensitizing agents to teeth. Some assistants who are given laboratory duties also make the
casts from impressions taken by the dentist, clean and polish removable appliances and
prepare temporary crowns3, 4).
Job satisfaction has long been associated with work environment, productivity, quality of
work and most importantly, quality of life. In a recent study among dental assistants in
Brazil, 81.5% expressed that they were satisfied with their job and for those who were
dissatisfied, salary, dentist’s personality, workplace, workload and standing position
during work had negative influences on their satisfaction5). Studies have also related job dissatisfaction to lack of control
and being undervalued by the dentist or the perception of being taken for granted6, 7).
Research interest has increased regarding the relationship of working conditions and
psychosocial factors to job satisfaction among dental healthcare workers, such as
dentists8, 9), dental hygienists1, 10, 11)
and dental assistants2, 5, 12,13,14,15,16). However, no study has been conducted to explore job
satisfaction among dental assistants working in Middle Eastern countries, where expatriate
healthcare workers constitute an integral part of the healthcare workforce. Moreover, one
area of continuing research is the correlation of educational standards and job
satisfaction. In a meta-analysis exploring nurses’ job satisfaction, educational level was
negatively associated with satisfaction17). However, a study conducted by Ingersoll et al.18) reported that educational qualifications
had a positive impact on the job satisfaction of the surveyed nurses. Glenn and Weaver19) reasoned that education that does not lead
to extrinsic rewards would lead to job dissatisfaction by producing unfulfilled expectations
and aspirations. We assumed that the variations in the educational backgrounds among the
dental assistants would be a key point and motivating factor for our study. Consequently,
the aim of the present study was to assess the level and distribution of job satisfaction
among dental assistants working in various private and public hospitals, clinics,
polyclinics and dental schools in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Subjects and Methods
This study was registered at and approved by the ethics committee of the College of
Dentistry Research Center (CDRC registration number FR 0035) and was undertaken with the
understanding and written consent of each participant according to the ethical principles of
the World Medical Association Declaration.
Survey instrument
The questionnaire used in this study was derived from a study conducted among Korean
dental practitioners9). The initial
version of the survey instrument, the Korean Dentist Satisfaction Survey (KDSS), consisted
of 29 items pertaining to overall job satisfaction and work environment factors. Only
questions that were appropriate for dental assistants were selected. The questionnaire
consisted of items on job satisfaction, as well as demographic and background information,
including age, gender, nationality, educational qualification, country and year of
graduation, years of experience and hours worked per day.
Pilot study and questionnaire development
To identify any obstacles to its comprehension, the questionnaire was pretested in a
pilot study of 10 Saudi and non-Saudi dental assistants each. Minor modifications were
made accordingly, and a few questions were either reformulated or excluded based on the
outcome of the pilot survey. The results of the pilot survey questionnaires were not
included in the main study. Our final survey instrument, the Dental Assistant Satisfaction
Survey (DASS), consisted of 24 relevant items written in English, and included 7 items
related to demographic details, 4 items to measure the general prospects of the profession
indicating overall job satisfaction (Factor 2) and 13 items concerning 4 work environment
factors (Factors 1, 3, 4 and 5; refer to Appendix). The work environment factors included
professional and personal life, quality of service, perception of income, prestige and
self-respect. The questions on job satisfaction were measured by a 5-point Likert scale,
which ranged from 1 to 5 as follows: 1=strongly disagree, 2=disagree, 3=neutral/fair,
4=agree, and 5=strongly agree).
Study sample and implementation of the study
According to the 2013 statistics from the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, the
total number of registered dental assistants in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is 3,790, of
which 1,364 are in Riyadh20). All dental
assistants working in public and private institutions who were able to understand the DASS
questionnaire (in English) were included, whereas others not fluent in the English
language were excluded. A total of 8 public and 6 private-funded institutions accepted our
study proposal to conduct the survey. Each prospective participant from these
14 institutions was approached individually at his or her workplace by two of the
co-investigators, who sought the participants’ willingness to participate voluntarily in
this paper-and-pencil survey by completing the anonymous questionnaire. Over a period of 5
months from February 2013 onwards, a total of 691 questionnaires were distributed.
Participants were not asked to include their names or any other identifying information to
ensure confidentiality. Those willing to participate were given the questionnaire, which
was to be completed by expressing their level of agreement. The completed questionnaires
were returned immediately after completion.
Validation of the survey instrument
The validity of the DASS questionnaire was assessed using an explanatory factor analysis.
Factor analysis identified 5 underlying factors that were different in most aspects
compared to the Korean study9) but
reflected identical factors concerning the study protocol. Cronbach’s alpha was used to
evaluate the internal consistency of the DASS. The Cronbach’s alpha for the 17 items was
0.75; the corresponding value for each factor is given in Table 1. Only the first two factors demonstrated acceptable
internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha exceeding the minimum standard of 0.7.
Table 1.
Data reduction by factor analysis of the results from the Dental Assistant
Satisfaction Survey (DASS) among dental assistants
| Factor name |
Item
number |
I |
II |
III |
IV |
V |
Cronbach’s
alpha |
| Professional and personal life |
9 |
0.670 |
0.145 |
0.191 |
−0.054 |
0.036 |
0.81 |
| 10 |
0.832 |
0.072 |
0.076 |
0.006 |
0.059 |
|
| 11 |
0.816 |
0.121 |
−0.090 |
−0.048 |
0.051 |
|
| 12 |
0.773 |
0.169 |
−0.114 |
0.074 |
−0.058 |
|
| 13 |
0.559 |
0.165 |
0.218 |
0.279 |
−0.089 |
|
| General prospects |
1 |
0.097 |
0.746 |
0.109 |
−0.102 |
−0.050 |
0.76 |
| 3 |
0.132 |
0.763 |
0.264 |
−0.054 |
0.086 |
|
| 4 |
0.162 |
0.597 |
0.086 |
0.117 |
−0.116 |
|
| 5 |
0.204 |
0.769 |
0.091 |
0.114 |
0.106 |
|
| Quality of service |
15 |
0.120 |
0.181 |
0.841 |
0.064 |
−0.032 |
0.66 |
| 16 |
−0.023 |
0.243 |
0.759 |
−0.126 |
0.070 |
|
| Perception of income |
6 |
−0.149 |
−0.177 |
0.079 |
0.779 |
0.107 |
0.51 |
| 7 |
0.384 |
0.322 |
−0.235 |
0.527 |
−0.116 |
|
| 8 |
0.436 |
0.294 |
−0.178 |
0.550 |
0.071 |
|
| Prestige and self-respect |
2 |
0.051 |
0.283 |
0.055 |
0.094 |
0.642 |
0.38 |
| 14 |
−0.129 |
−0.087 |
−0.053 |
0.166 |
0.600 |
|
| 17 |
0.142 |
−0.145 |
0.054 |
−0.222 |
0.711 |
|
| Eigenvalue |
|
4.35 |
2.07 |
1.41 |
1.36 |
1.02 |
|
| % of Variance |
|
25.60 |
12.19 |
8.30 |
7.99 |
5.99 |
|
The numbers in bold indicate each DASS question as an element of factors I to V.
The data obtained from the survey were manually entered into a Statistical Package for
the Social Sciences database (IBM, SPSS version 20, IL, USA) and were analyzed using a
χ2 test with p<0.05 set as the level of significance.
Responses to negatively worded statements were reverse-coded so that higher scores
represented higher satisfaction. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed
to assess the likelihood of overall job satisfaction (Question number 5) when correlated
with the other questions related to work environment and demographic variables. The
association between the factors related to job satisfaction and the individual’s
background characteristics such as gender, age, nationality, years of experience, public
or private institution, and working hours per day, were analyzed using analysis of
covariance.
Determination of scoring system
The scores for each item in the 5 factors were averaged to determine the degree of
satisfaction for each factor, which was then classified into three responses based on the
mean score for each factor as follows: dissatisfied (1.0–2.5), neutral (>2.5 and
<3.5), and satisfied (3.5–5.0). This is similar to the method used in the Korean
study9).
Results
Study population
The background characteristics of the study population are given in Table 2. Of the 691 questionnaires that were distributed, 498
were returned with completed data that was suitable for analysis. The overall response
rate of this survey was 72.1%. Approximately 83.7% (n=417) of the respondents were female
and 16.3% (n=81) were male. The mean age of the study population was 34.19 ± 8.70 yr and
ranged from 20 to 58 yr. The majority of participants attained dental degrees from the
Philippines (61.4%), and only 10.2% had a bachelor’s degree in dental assisting. The other
qualifications included a diploma in dental assisting (13.5%), a Bachelor of Science in
nursing (10.6%), and others (4.2%) such as midwifery, bachelor of dental technology and
general nursing. In our sample of dental assistants, the number of expatriates (n=387,
77.7%) exceeded the number of individuals of native origin (n=111, 22.3%).
Table 2.
Background characteristics of the study population
| Variables |
|
Total N=498
n (%) |
| Sex |
Male |
81 (16.3) |
| Female |
417 (83.7) |
| Age (yr) |
≤30 |
198 (41.9) |
| 31–40 |
154 (32.6) |
| 41–50 |
102 (21.6) |
| 51–60 |
18 (3.8) |
Educational qualifications
(highest degree
attained) |
Bachelor of Dental Assisting |
51 (10.2) |
| Diploma in Dental Assisting |
67 (13.5) |
| Dental degree |
306 (61.4) |
| BSc Nursing |
53 (10.6) |
| Others |
21 (4.2) |
| Nationality |
Saudi |
111 (22.3) |
| Non-Saudi |
387 (77.7) |
| Current employment |
Public |
349 (70.1) |
| Private |
149 (29.9) |
| Years of experience (yr) |
≤10 |
339 (69.5) |
| >10 |
149 (30.5) |
| Working hours per day (h) |
≤8 |
181 (36.6) |
| >8 |
313 (63.4) |
The mean scores and the distribution of the respondents for each factor related to job
satisfaction are given in Table
3. The mean score for the overall job satisfaction was 3.86
(satisfied). Among the work environment factors, the highest mean score, 4.26 (satisfied),
was obtained for quality of service, and the lowest mean score, 2.78 (neutral), was
obtained for perception of income. Only 4.2% of the dental assistants were dissatisfied
with the general prospects of the job indicating overall job dissatisfaction, compared to
76.5% respondents who reported that they were satisfied. In terms of work environment
factors, 31.9% were satisfied with their professional and personal life, whereas
approximately 91% were satisfied with their quality of service towards the community and
in assisting the dentists. On the other hand, nearly one third of the dental assistants
(31%) were dissatisfied with their perception of income. Regarding prestige and
self-respect, approximately 48% reported that they were neither satisfied nor
dissatisfied.
Table 3.
The mean satisfaction score and the distribution of the five factors related to
job satisfaction
| Factors |
Distributiona |
>Mean
Satisfaction scoresb |
Satisfaction
n (%) |
Neutral/fair
n (%) |
Dissatisfaction
n (%) |
| Professional and personal life |
159 (31.9) |
272 (54.6) |
67 (13.5) |
3.20 ± 0.68 |
| General prospects of the profession |
381 (76.5) |
96 (19.3) |
21 (4.2) |
3.86 ± 0.73 |
| Quality of service |
454 (91.2) |
38 (7.6) |
6 (1.2) |
4.26 ± 0.65 |
| Perception of income |
77 (15.5) |
265 (53.4) |
154 (31.0) |
2.78 ± 0.76 |
| Prestige and self-respect |
177 (35.6) |
237 (47.7) |
83 (16.7) |
3.17 ± 0.72 |
a Respondents were classified as dissatisfied (1.0−2.5), neutral (>2.5
and <3.5), or satisfied (3.5−5.0). b Mean ± SD of the 5- point Likert
scale, which ranged from 1 (minimum satisfaction) to 5 (maximum satisfaction).
The effects of the work environment factors and the general prospects of the profession
on the question which directly addressed overall job satisfaction were evaluated by a
multinomial logistic regression analysis after adjusting for all the professional and
personal characteristics. The regression analysis revealed 6 questions to be significantly
associated with the overall job satisfaction (Table 4). The final logistic model had a Cox and
Snell Pseudo R-square result of 57.8%, which explained the proportion of the total
variability of the outcome that is accounted for by the model.
Table 4.
Multinomial logistic regression model for overall job satisfaction (Question
number 5)
| Variables* |
B |
SE |
Wald |
p-value |
Odds ratio
(OR) |
95% CI for OR
LB UB |
| Q1. Knowing what I know now, I would make the same
decision to go into dentistry again. (1) |
−1.95 |
0.76 |
6.59 |
0.010 |
0.14 |
0.03 |
0.63 |
| Q2. I wish I could drop my job to do something else.
(1) |
−0.97 |
0.42 |
5.36 |
0.021 |
0.38 |
0.17 |
0.86 |
| Q2. I wish I could drop my job to do something else.
(2) |
−1.44 |
0.45 |
10.54 |
0.001 |
0.24 |
0.10 |
0.56 |
| Q3. Dentistry is the place where I can make my
best contribution. (2) |
−1.82 |
0.43 |
17.91 |
0.000 |
0.16 |
0.07 |
0.38 |
| Q4. If my child is interested in dentistry, I would
encourage him/her to pursue a dental career. (1) |
−1.74 |
0.65 |
7.18 |
0.007 |
0.18 |
0.05 |
0.63 |
| Q7. The income that I receive from my job is most
satisfactory for my needs. (2) |
−1.55 |
0.52 |
8.86 |
0.003 |
0.21 |
0.08 |
0.59 |
| Q8. I am satisfied with the benefits I receive from my
job. (2) |
0.95 |
0.48 |
3.94 |
0.047 |
2.58 |
1.01 |
6.56 |
* Gender, age, nationality, educational qualification, years of experience and
working hours did not have any direct significant effects on overall job satisfaction
(3). The numbers in parentheses denote the following responses: (1) Disagree; (2)
Fair; and (3) Agree.
Analysis of covariance was used to determine the relationship between background
characteristics and the work environment factors, with the latter as the dependent
variable (Table 5). There was a significant
association with regard to nationality and the interaction between nationality and current
employment for professional and personal life (p<0.05). The non-Saudi
dental assistants were more satisfied with their professional and personal life than the
Saudi dental assistants. The estimated marginal means indicated that Saudi respondents
working in private institutions were more satisfied with their professional and personal
life than the Saudi dental assistants working in public institutions.
Table 5.
Relationship of the individuals’ professional and personal characteristics to
the four work environment factors determined by analysis of covariance
| Dependent variable |
Source |
Type III sum
of
squares |
F |
p value* |
| Professional and personal life |
Nationality |
2.16 |
4.82 |
0.029 |
| Nationality*Employment |
6.05 |
13.85 |
0.000 |
| Quality of care |
Education |
3.66 |
8.68 |
0.003 |
| Perception of income |
Gender |
3.74 |
6.28 |
0.013 |
| Gender*Working hours |
3.66 |
6.34 |
0.012 |
| Nationality*Employment |
4.14 |
7.18 |
0.008 |
| Education*Employment |
3.60 |
6.23 |
0.013 |
| Prestige and self-respect |
Nationality |
2.87 |
6.30 |
0.012 |
*p value<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Educational qualification and nationality were significantly associated with quality of
service and the items related to prestige and self-respect, respectively
(p<0.05). The non-Saudi dental assistants with a dental degree were
significantly more satisfied with their quality of service towards the community and in
assisting the dentists than the respondents with other qualifications. In addition, the
majority of the non-Saudi dental assistants were more satisfied regarding prestige and
self-respect, compared to the Saudi dental assistants.
Perception of income was significantly associated with gender and the interaction between
nationality and employment, education and employment, as well as gender and working hours
(p<0.05). The majority of the female dental assistants were more
satisfied with their perception of income than the male dental assistants. The estimated
marginal means indicated that the Saudi dental assistants working in private institutions
were more satisfied with their perception of income than those working in public
institutions. This was in contrast with the non-Saudi dental assistants and their current
employment. Additionally, males who worked more than 8 h per day were more dissatisfied
with their income than males who worked fewer hours. Among the respondents who were
working in private institutions, the respondents with a dental degree were more satisfied
with their income than the respondents with other qualifications. In contrast, among the
respondents who were working in public institutions, the respondents with other
qualifications were more satisfied with their income than the respondents with a dental
degree.
Discussion
The disparity in the educational qualifications of dental assistants working in various
public and private institutions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, led us to investigate the levels
and distribution of job satisfaction among them. Individuals who have a primary level of
education and those who have been adequately trained to handle dental equipment and to give
proper assistance to the dentist are given registration as dental assistants by the Saudi
Commission for Health Specialties. Interestingly, no previous studies have explored such a
diverse background characteristics of the dental assisting population as described in this
survey. Our study sample consisted of a majority of non-Saudis, particularly from the
Philippines. Moreover, all the participants with a dental degree were from the
Philippines.
Unlike Brazilian dental assistants5), they
are allowed to do tasks such as taking radiographs, removing sutures, applying topical
anesthetics to gingival tissues, and placing rubber dams. The intention of performing these
activities is giving the best possible assistance to the dentist in order to save time,
without compromising productivity in the dental office. This set up is in contrast to Jordan
and many Eastern Mediterranean countries, where dental assistants work on a full-time basis
and are assigned various roles, such as receptionist, office manager, chair-side assistant
or X-ray technician2).
In our study, the mean score for overall job satisfaction was 3.8 out of 5, which is higher
than that of the combined mean score of general job satisfaction of dentists and dental
auxiliaries (mean score of 2.44 out of 6) reported by Chapko et al.16). A comparison of the job satisfaction
among three groups of dental healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and
Trinidad and Tobago reported high mean scores of 7.34, 7.13 and 5.21 out of 10,
respectively12). In our survey, when the
respondents were classified into three categories, namely, satisfied, neutral and
dissatisfied, the majority of them (76.5%) were satisfied with their jobs. This result may
be consistent with the level of job satisfaction in Brazilian dental assistants, which has
also previously been reported to be high (81.5%)5). In contrast, only 36.1% of Canadian dental assistants were fully
satisfied with their job, and they attributed the main sources of their dissatisfaction to
low income, lack of opportunity for professional development and lack of recognition13). In a study conducted in Jordan among
dental assistants, more than half of them reported that they were fairly well satisfied with
their job, but only 12.8% were enthusiastic about their job. However, in that report, the
authors only studied the job-related factors of dental assistants working in the private
sector, and the study mainly focused on the validity and reliability of a work stress
inventory for dental assistants in Jordan2).
The trend of more number of female dental assistants seen in this study is in accordance
with the gender distribution of dental assisting populations in Brazil5) and Canada13). The large number of females in
this professional field may be attributed to their liberation in the labor workforce and
their affective traits in the caregiving process. The majority of our sample comprised
dental assistants with a dental degree, which in the Philippines, is equivalent to a degree
for a qualified dentist. Thus, the job satisfaction expressed by these expatriates may
reflect a significant degree of role conflict and should thus be interpreted with caution.
It has been reported that many allied health professionals may experience the lack of
occupational prestige, limited opportunity for vertical mobility and occupational burnout as
a result of intra-role conflict21). While
non-response bias is always a concern in a questionnaire survey, this was minimal in the
present study.
This survey found that the majority of the dental assistants in Riyadh were discontented
with their perception of income, and only 15.5% were fully satisfied. This finding is
consistent with the Brazilian study, where salary was identified as the most frequent reason
for job dissatisfaction5). In our survey,
this dissatisfaction may have resulted from the variations in income among the dental
assistants, regardless of their background qualifications. This finding is of serious
concern because income is a main factor that may cause employees to quit the profession. At
the same time, a good salary will motivate skilled professionals to perform their duties
well22). In this survey, quality of
service was the item that scored the highest satisfaction. The study participants seemed to
be satisfied with their skills in dental assisting, which are clearly based on their
professional qualifications and the training they had acquired.
Logistic regression analysis identified six questions that had significant association with
the participants’ overall job satisfaction. In the regression model, the dental assistants
who were neutral about the benefits they received from the job were 2.5 times more likely to
indicate overall job satisfaction. Moreover, those who would not make the same decision to
go into dentistry again and those who would not encourage their children to pursue a career
in dentistry were less likely to indicate overall job satisfaction. The dental assistants
who were neutral about or disagreed on “I wish I could drop my job to do something else”
were less likely to indicate overall job satisfaction. In addition, dental assistants who
were neutral about dentistry being the place where they could make their best contribution
and regarding their income being satisfactory to their needs were also less likely to
indicate overall job satisfaction.
Furthermore, the results suggested that non-Saudi dental assistants were more satisfied
with their professional and personal life than their Saudi counterparts. This finding may be
attributed to the larger social circles of non-Saudis working as dental assistants. The
Saudi dental assistants in the private institutions were found to be more satisfied than
those in the public institutions with regard to their professional and personal lives, which
may be due to the flexibility in working hours in the private sector. Those dental
assistants with a dental degree were more satisfied with their quality of service, which may
be a reflection of their educational training. This in turn may have had a positive impact
on their prestige and self-respect.
In our survey, the perception of income played a significant role in understanding job
satisfaction, which is consistent with the findings of previous studies13, 16, 23). Generally, female dental assistants were more satisfied
with their income than male dental assistants. This finding may be due to the content
attitudes of females regarding their personal expenses, whereas males may have a higher
burden of expenses in the household. Moreover, males who worked longer hours were less
satisfied with their income than those who worked fewer hours, indicating the absence of any
bonus or benefits for those working longer hours. The dental assistants with a dental degree
who worked in private institutions were more satisfied with their income than those who
worked in public institutions, which may be due to better salary incentives for dental
assistants with a dental degree in the private sector than in the public sector. Moreover,
in public institutions, there are no fixed salaries based on the individual’s educational
level or years of experience. The need for establishing certain criteria for pay, while
avoiding creating inequality among dental assistants, should be the focus of policy makers
and institutional directors.
Several limitations of this study need to be addressed. Because the study population only
included dental assistants from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the findings obtained from these
self-reported data can only be generalized within this population. It is possible that
dental assistants from other geographical areas may respond differently to the survey
instrument used in this study. The reliability of the scale used to measure the quality of
service, the perceptions of income, prestige and self-respect were relatively low
(Cronbach’s alpha = 0.66, 0.58 and 0.31, respectively). Future questionnaires with larger
numbers of questions or statements addressing this issue may produce higher-reliability
coefficients. The cross-sectional design and non-respondent bias may be considered as other
limitations of this study.
In conclusion, this study explored the influence of professional and personal
characteristics on job satisfaction among dental assistants. Professional and personal life,
quality of service, perception of income and prestige and self-respect were important work
environment factors for job satisfaction among dental assistants working in Saudi Arabia.
The findings of this study will be useful to policy makers in the dental profession and the
healthcare system to devise plans to increase the level of job satisfaction among dental
assistants in Saudi Arabia. Policy makers and professional leaders need to take cognizance
of the findings of this survey in planning for the future if they are to attract and retain
a motivated dental workforce. In addition, this study is intended to stimulate additional
research on dental job satisfaction, specifically to address more varied populations of
dental assistants and to explore additional factors that may correlate with dental job
satisfaction. Despite the differences in professional formation standards among the dental
assistants in this study, they were, in general, considerably satisfied with their jobs.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the College of Dentistry Research Center at King Saud University,
Saudi Arabia, for supporting this research project (research project # FR 0035). We would
also like to extend our sincere gratitude to all the dental assistants who took part in this
survey.
References
- 1) Turner
S, Ross
MK, Ibbetson
RJ (2011)
Job satisfaction among dually qualified dental hygienist-therapists in UK
primary care: a structural model. Br Dent
J 210, E5.
- 2) Khader
YS, Airan
DM, Al-Faouri
I (2009)
Work stress inventory for dental assistants: development and psychometric
evaluation. J Public Health Dent 69,
56–61.
- 3) American Dental Education
Association Dental Assistant: Overview. http://explorehealthcareers.org/en/Career/3/Dental_Assistant. Accessed March
1, 2013.
- 4) Bayt.com Dental
Assistant, Dallah Hospital − Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Job Description. www.bayt.com/en/job/dental-assistant-1652012/. Accessed March 10,
2013.
- 5) Loretto
NR, Caldas
AF Jr., Coelho
Junior
LG (2013)
Job satisfaction among dental assistants in Brazil.
Braz Dent J 24, 53–8.
- 6) Craven
RC, Blinkhorn
AS, Roberts
C (1995)
A survey of job stress and job satisfaction among DSAs in the north-west
of England. Br Dent J 178,
101–4.
- 7) Humphris
GM, Peacock
L (1993)
Occupational stress and job satisfaction in the community dental service
of north Wales: a pilot study. Community Dent
Health 10, 73–82.
- 8) Goetz
K, Campbell
SM, Broge
B, Dörfer
CE, Brodowski
M, Szecsenyi
J (2012)
The impact of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the job satisfaction of
dentists. Community Dent Oral
Epidemiol 40, 474–80.
- 9) Jeong
SH, Chung
JK, Choi
YH, Sohn
W, Song
KB (2006)
Factors related to job satisfaction among South Korean
dentists. Community Dent Oral
Epidemiol 34, 460–6.
- 10) Yavnai
N, Bilder
L, Sgan-Cohen
H, Zini
A (2012)
Dental hygienists in Israel: employment evaluation, job satisfaction, and
training implications. J Dent Educ 76,
1371–6.
- 11) Jerković-Ćosić
K, van
Offenbeek
MA, van der
Schans
CP (2012)
Job satisfaction and job content in Dutch dental
hygienists. Int J Dent Hyg 10,
155–62.
- 12) Naidu
R, Newton
JT, Ayers
K (2006)
A comparison of career satisfaction amongst dental healthcare
professionals across three health care systems: comparison of data from the United
Kingdom, New Zealand and Trinidad & Tobago. BMC Health Serv
Res 6, 32.
- 13) Locker
D (1996)
Work stress, job satisfaction and emotional well-being among Canadian
dental assistants. Community Dent Oral
Epidemiol 24, 133–7.
- 14) Ashton
MA, Jones
JH, Sarll
DW (1994)
Factors affecting dental surgery assistants’ job satisfaction in general
dental practice. Br Dent Nurs J 53,
2–4.
- 15) Burman
D, Locker
D, Otchere
D (1990)
Ontario dental assistants’ job satisfaction: relationship to work stress
and intention to change jobs. J Can Dent
Assoc 56, 617–20.
- 16) Chapko
MK, Bergner
M, Beach
B, Green
K, Milgrom
P, Skalabrin
N (1986)
Development of a measure of job satisfaction for dentists and dental
auxiliaries. Community Dent Oral
Epidemiol 14, 76–9.
- 17) Blegen
MA (1993)
Nurses’ job satisfaction: a meta-analysis of related
variables. Nurs Res 42,
36–41.
- 18) Ingersoll
GL, Olsan
T, Drew-Cates
J, DeVinney
BC, Davies
J (2002)
Nurses’ job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and career
intent. J Nurs Adm 32,
250–63.
- 19) Glenn
ND, Weaver
CN (1982)
Further evidence on education and job satisfaction.
Soc Forces 61, 46–55.
- 20) Saudi Commission of Health Specialties
(2013) Registered dental assistants and hygienists,
Department Information Technology and Communication, Riyadh.
- 21) Brutvan
EL (1985)
Intra-role conflict: a result of naive attempts toward
professionalization. J Allied
Health 14, 3–11.
- 22) Dibble
S (1999) Keeping
your valuable employees: Retention strategies for your organization’s most important
resource, John Wiley & Sons, New York.
- 23) Newton
JT, Gibbons
DE (2001)
Levels of career satisfaction amongst dental healthcare professionals:
comparison of dental therapists, dental hygienists and dental
practitioners. Community Dent
Health 18, 172–6.
