Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore to what extent people recognize the profession of a dental hygienist, and to clarify the relationship between the level of accuracy with which people recognize the scope of services provided by dental hygienists and people's experience of dental scaling. A total of 3,199 people in their 30s to 60s, 2,221 men and 978 women, who underwent complete medical checkups at a health care facility in Nagoya took part in this study. A total of 50.4% of the men and 74.1% of the women recognized the profession of a dental hygienist. Among several different services provided by dental hygienists, most people recognized such services as "guidance on brushing", "dental scaling", and "fluoride application." People who accurately comprehended what services dental hygienists provide recognized the profession of a dental hygienist more clearly than those who had rather vague ideas about services they provided. People who had often undergone dental scaling by a dental hygienist clearly recognized what services dental hygienists provide, compared with those who had had dental scaling less often. In conclusion, the experience of dental scaling contributed to a clear recognition of dental hygienists' profession.
