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Utilisation of the dental workforce: a service evaluation in one dental institute

British Dental Journal (2024)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective This study examines the skill set and utilisation of dental care professionals (DCPs) in secondary and tertiary dental care roles.

Methods DCPs were surveyed across various specialities using the General Dental Council's Scope of practice as a reference.

Results Dental nurses employ 23 out of 30 identified skills, dental therapists use 28 out of 32, and dental hygienists perform 27 out of 29 of their skills. Dental technicians use 17 out of 20 skills within their scope; however, clinical dental technicians only employ 3 out of 20 skills regularly. The majority of participants expressed a desire for further training and skill utilisation.

Discussion DCPs possess diverse skill sets and a commitment to ongoing development. However, challenges, including educational priorities, patient referrals and treatment constraints, limit their scope in secondary and tertiary care.

Conclusion Enhancing DCPs' contributions to patient care requires collaboration with dentists and addressing systemic barriers in secondary and tertiary dental care. Promoting additional training and full skill set utilisation can improve the dental care workforce to meet evolving patient and population needs.

Key points

  • Enhanced patient care through expanded dental care professional (DCP) roles: the findings suggest that DCPs can perform many procedures traditionally done by dentists, such as screening and oral health promotion, which could improve patient care efficiency and access.

  • Professional development and retention: there is a significant interest among DCPs to expand their skill sets through ongoing training, which could increase job satisfaction, career advancement opportunities and staff retention within the NHS.

  • Addressing workforce shortages: expanding training positions and developing apprenticeship programmes for DCPs can help mitigate workforce shortages, particularly in secondary care settings, and provide a broader, more diversified dental workforce.

  • Utilisation of full scope of practice: enabling DCPs to fully utilise their training and skills can reduce waiting times and improve patient flow, helping meet NHS targets for treatment times and reducing strain on the healthcare system.

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Data availability

Data available on request.

References

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their appreciation to Professor Jennifer Gallagher for providing insightful feedback and constructive criticism for this article. Special thanks to Mr Chris Sproat for supporting the conception of the project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Guy´s and St Thomas´ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    Sarah Najim, Melody Shirazi, Nabina Bhujel & Joanna Johnson

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  1. Sarah Najim
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  2. Melody Shirazi
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  3. Nabina Bhujel
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Contributions

Sarah Najim: conception and design of the study, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, and drafting the manuscript. Melody Shirazi: design of the study, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, and drafting the manuscript. Nabina Bhujel: critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content, and final approval of the version to be published. Joanna Johnson: provided oversight of the project, critical revision of the manuscript, and final approval of the version to be published

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sarah Najim.

Ethics declarations

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

This project was a service evaluation of the current standard of utilisation of the dental workforce in a single institute. There was no change to the management nor advice provided to patients or the team. Hence, no ethical approval was required, as confirmed by the trust. Questionnaires were completed entirely anonymously and completion of the survey implied consent. Those who chose to participate understood that the data would anonymously be used for the results in this project and ongoing research. Individual responses cannot be traced back - it is not possible to determine which anonymous individual from the various departments participated in the survey.

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Najim, S., Shirazi, M., Bhujel, N. et al. Utilisation of the dental workforce: a service evaluation in one dental institute. Br Dent J (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-024-7906-6

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