2001 Volume 51 Issue 5 Pages 793-801
This study surveyed the opinions and attitudes of dental hygienists in Japan on methods of caries prevention including the use of fluorides. The subjects were working in public offices and health centers and performed dental health services. A questionnaire was designed according to the PRECEDE model, which was comprised of predisposing factors, enabling factors, reinforcing factors and diagnosis of behavior. The results were as follows: 1. Dental hygienists in Japan who worked in public offices and health centers showed accurate knowledge about the use of fluorides and positive attitudes toward dental caries prevention. Despite the high proportion of the subjects presenting a favorable opinion on the topical application of fluoride, less than 40% of hygienists agreed with systemic fluoride application. 2. More than 50% of the population indicated their strong dissatisfaction with enabling factors consisting of a dental health budget, sufficiency of personnel and so on. Hygienists showed a negative response to reinforcing factors as well, which were mostly comprised of perception and support from colleagues. 3. In diagnosing behavior, which was represented as a choice for procedure of caries prevention, plaque and sugar control was almost at the top of the procedures. A very small proportion of the subjects supported systemic fluoride application such as water fluoridation.
