Dentists’ views on the role orientation of dental hygienists in China: A qualitative content analysis

Abstract Background A dental hygienist is an indispensable auxiliary staff in stomatology who assists people in achieving an optimum level of oral health. Despite advancements in dental medical services, our country has not yet established the position of dental hygienists. The current imbalance in the allocation of dental human resources has created a significant disparity between the demand for and supply of dental auxiliaries. By defining the responsibilities and functions of dental hygienists and establishing this position, this gap could be mitigated. The present study was conducted to explore dentists’ views on the role orientation, duty division and development situation of dental hygienists, in order to provide a reference for the establishment and training of the dental hygienist occupation in China in the future. Methods We use a descriptive qualitative design. A total of 13 dentists were selected through purposive sampling with maximum variation. Data were collected three months through semi-structured in-depth interviews and audio recorded, then carefully transcribed and analyzed using inductive content analysis approach. Results This study included 13 dentists (9 males and 4 females; age 33–59 years), which was sufficient to reach data saturation. We generated three themes emerged: (a) national condition determined comprehensive paraprofessionals; (b) auxiliary personnel of multi-professional integration; (c) opportunities and challenges coexist. Conclusion Existing knowledge of the role orientation, duty division and development situation of dental hygienists in China is limited. A detailed exploration of this topic can provide guidance for the future duty division of dental auxiliary personnel and dental health care teams building.