Keywords

stakeholder theory, dentistry, dental hygiene, demand study, HPV, Oral Cancer, Chronic Conditions, oral health, periodontal disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, dental education, systemic Illness

Abstract

The following is a study to determine if sufficient demand exists to start a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree program in dental hygiene through a joint agreement for completion degrees between Valencia Community College and the University of Central Florida. To accomplish this objective two survey instruments were administered to randomly selected licensed dentists and dental hygienists in the state of Florida. Dental hygienists represented the potential student base for the proposed programs, and dentists represented the potential and prospective employers of graduated students of the proposed programs. To determine demand and demand characteristics, one survey instrument was mailed to 1,000 dental hygienists who were randomly selected using SAS software from a population of N=12,066 dental hygienists actively licensed to practice in the state of Florida. This sample of hygienists was approximately 8.3% of the total population. Of the 1,000 samples, 134 (or 13.4%) were returned. Of the 134 surveys returned, 123 (n=123) were included in this study. Eleven surveys were not included because of a majority of missing data or because the respondent indicated he or she already possessed a Bachelor or Master degree. A Likert-scale questionnaire was sent to each group of actively licensed dentists and actively licensed dental hygienists from the state of Florida. Responses from dental hygienists were overwhelmingly positive towards the addition of the Bachelor of Science degree program with an online distance-learning component. Those in favor of the Bachelor of Science degree program also provided a favorable response towards adding a Master of Science degree program in dental hygiene. The dentists, as potential future employers, also showed strong support in their responses for the additional degree programs with an additional management track component and believed it would elevate the professional standards of the dental hygiene field.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2009

Advisor

Liberman, Aaron

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Health and Public Affairs

Department

Health Professions

Degree Program

Public Affairs

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0002842

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0002842

Language

English

Release Date

February 2010

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)

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