Job satisfaction among dental assistants in Brazil

Impact of Working Environment on Job Satisfaction: Findings from a Survey of Japanese Dental Hygienists

In Japan, there is currently a shortage of dental hygienists. The number of dental hygienists as a workforce at dental clinical practice is not sufficient. Several factors affect career retention and job satisfaction of hygienists and these factors are considered to correlate with each other to construct networks. The aim of this study was to present a structural model of job satisfaction of Japanese dental hygienists and to determine the characteristics of unmotivated hygienists. The Japan Dental Hygienists’ Association has conducted a survey on their working environments every five years since 1981. Questionnaires were sent to all members of the association (16,113) and 8932 answers were returned. The data of 3807 active dental hygienists who worked at clinics were analyzed. Items associated with job satisfaction were derived from two latent variables, namely, the intrinsic psychosocial factors for the value of the work and extrinsic employment advantage. Based on the structural equation modeling, the association of value was higher than that of advantage. Most of the hygienists wished to continue working as dental hygienists. More than 60% felt their work required a high level of expertise. The value of the profession is deeply rooted in job satisfaction, motivation, and job retention of Japanese dental hygienists. Working environments where dental hygienists make great use of their specialized skills can lead to high career retention which prevent them from taking career breaks.

Improvement of the Working Environment and Daily Work-Related Tasks of Dental Hygienists Working in Private Dental Offices from the Japan Dental Hygienists' Association Survey 2019

A dental hygienist performs various daily work-related tasks. The aim of this study was to elucidate the daily work-related tasks of Japanese dental hygienists and construct groups to understand the relationships between daily work-related tasks, the attractiveness of dental hygienist work, and the improvement of the working environment. The Japan Dental Hygienists’ Association has conducted a postal survey on the employment status of dental hygienists in Japan every five years since 1981. The data on the implementation of 74 daily work-related tasks in dental offices were analyzed from the survey carried out in 2019. The questionnaires were distributed to 16,722 dental hygienists and 8932 were returned (collection rate: 53.4%). The 3796 dental hygienists working at dental clinics were clearly classified into nine groups. Full-time workers requested a reduced workload. Part-time workers requested better treatment rather than reducing the workload. Salary and human relationships were common problems with the working environment. Full-time workers felt that job security was an attractive feature of the dental hygienist role. The data presented in this study may help with the improvement of working conditions for dental hygienists.

Predictors and Level of Job Satisfaction among the Dental Workforce in National Guard Health Affairs

Objective:

To assess the level of job satisfaction among the dental workforce in the National Guard Health Affairs (NGHA) in Saudi Arabia and to explore any predictors that have impact on the level of satisfaction.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional study targeted dentists, dental assistants, dental hygienists, and dental lab technicians who are workers for the NGHA. A cluster random sampling procedure was conducted from seven dental centers. Data were collected through a self-reported questionnaire that was previously published. Satisfaction questions were related to (a) professional and personal life, (b) income and job security, (c) quality of service, and (d) prestige and self-perception domains. Data analysis included frequency distributions, and a comparison of mean using t-test was conducted using SPSS software.

Results:

The response rate was 55.5%. The mean satisfaction score was 65.7 out of 112 (2.9 out of 5). Of the four domains pertaining to job satisfactions, the highest mean score was obtained for quality of service (4.2 out of 5), followed by prestige and self-perception (2.8 out of 5), professional and personal life (2.8 out of 5), and income and job security (2.6 out of 5). Non-Saudis were found to be significantly more satisfied in professional and personal life; however, Saudi dentists were more satisfied for income and job security and quality of services.

Conclusions:

In general, the dental workforce practicing in NGHA experience a low level of job satisfaction. Professional and personal life, income and job security, and quality of services are all important factors affecting the level of job satisfaction.

Adaptação cultural de um instrumento para avaliar a satisfação no trabalho

Resumo Introdução: o trabalho ocupa um lugar importante na vida do indivíduo e, dependendo da forma como é organizado e executado, pode gerar satisfações ou insatisfações. O método mais utilizado para avaliar a satisfação no trabalho tem sido a aplicação de instrumentos de medida. Objetivo: realizar a adaptação cultural do instrumento Job Satisfaction Survey para utilização no contexto dos trabalhadores brasileiros. Método: o procedimento de adaptação cultural do instrumento constou das seguintes etapas: (1) Tradução independente por dois tradutores; (2) Síntese das traduções por um terceiro tradutor e especialistas; (3) Retrotradução por outros dois tradutores independentes; (4) Revisão por um comitê de especialistas; (5) Verificação do Índice de Validade de Conteúdo; (6) Pré-teste com trabalhadores de Enfermagem; (7) Adequações finais do instrumento. Resultados: foram obtidas as equivalências semântica, idiomática, cultural e conceitual entre a versão traduzida e a versão original e observou-se facilidade de entendimento e aceitação dos itens do questionário no contexto dos trabalhadores da Enfermagem. Conclusão: a análise do comitê de especialistas e o pré-teste demonstraram que os itens são pertinentes à cultura brasileira e avaliam a dimensão proposta pelo instrumento original.

Factors affecting job satisfaction and their correlation with educational standards among dental assistants

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.