Dental Hygiene Students’ Knowledge of Holistic Approaches to Oral Health Care

Abstract

Purpose There has been an increased interest from patients and providers in holistic dentistry for oral health care, however, there is limited information available on the perception and level of integration of holistic dentistry in dental hygiene education. The purpose of this study was to assess dental hygiene students’ knowledge and confidence regarding holistic dentistry for oral health care.

Methods An 18-item electronic survey was sent to 330 program directors in the United States for distribution to dental hygiene students graduating in the class of 2024. The survey included demographic, Likert scale, open-ended, and sliding scale questions assessing students’ knowledge, attitudes, educational exposure, and interest in holistic dentistry and homeopathic ingredients in dental products. The data was recorded in an online survey platform and analyzed with statistical software. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.

Results Many respondents (42%, n=138) indicated no familiarity with holistic dentistry and more than half (60%, n=197) did not feel comfortable when discussing holistic dentistry with their patients. There was a relationship between the level of familiarity with holistic dentistry and confidence when this care option with patients (p<0.05). A low number of respondents were familiar with diagnostic tests used in holistic dentistry such as pH level, saliva, and microbiology; however, most were not familiar with coral calcium, nano-silver, lemongrass oil, green tea-based extract ingredients. Respondents indicated having learned about holistic dentistry in nutrition (42%, n=138) and pharmacology (41%, n=135), biomaterials (23%, n=75) or other courses (19%, n=62). Respondents learned about holistic dentistry from searching online (49%) or social media platforms (48%, n=157). However, 44% (n=157) thought it was important to be integrated into dental hygiene program curricula.

Conclusion Although most respondents were not familiar with holistic dentistry and did not feel comfortable discussing it with their patients, they expressed an interest in learning more about it and valued the importance of integrating holistic oral health care into their dental hygiene curriculum.