Dental Hygienists' Familiarity, Utilization, and Barriers to Using Advanced Instruments during Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy

Purpose Non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) is considered to be fundamental in the treatment of periodontal disease. Advanced area specific instruments were designed to increase the clinician's ability to effectively access root furcation areas during NSPT. The purpose of this study was to explore clinical dental hygienists' familiarity, utilization, and perceived efficacy of advanced instruments in root furcation areas during NSPT.Methods A randomized sample (n=3,500) of licensed dental hygienists in Michigan was invited to participate in a paper-based, mail survey. The 10-item instrument consisted of demographic, multiple choice, Likert scale, and open-ended questions. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data.Results A total of 1,156 surveys were returned; 858 met the inclusion criteria for a response rate of 24.5%. Respondents who graduated between 2010-2020 than those who graduated between 1990-1999 were more likely to utilize advanced instruments and those who graduated in 1989 or earlier (16.0% and 19.9% respectively). Respondents familiar with advanced instruments were more likely to use them in furcation areas during NSPT than those less familiar with the instruments (95% CI [18.1, 29.6], p<0.001). Respondents who perceived advanced instruments to be effective in furcation areas were more likely to utilize them (95% CI [1.0, 8.0], p<0.05) during NSPT. Most respondents indicated that they became familiar with advanced instruments during their dental hygiene education or through continuing education courses.Conclusion Familiarity with advanced instruments and perceived efficacy of these instruments for accessing root furcations increased the likelihood of clinical dental hygienists utilizing them during NSPT. Dental hygiene education and continuing education programs should continue to provide opportunities for students and practicing clinicians to learn NSPT instrumentation techniques utilizing advanced instruments designed for furcation access.