Baccalaureate dental hygiene programs provide broader preparation than diploma/associate programs, though both lack sufficient applied learning experiences¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Diploma and associate programs focus on individual patient care with limited exposure to policy use, research, and advocacy, while baccalaureate programs emphasise community-level health promotion and policy engagement, yet students in baccalaureate programs still reported low confidence in these areas. → Asraf Suadah Ismail 2026

Evidence¶

Asraf Suadah Ismail 2026¶

Asraf Suadah Ismail, Sethi Ahsan, Ali Kamran. (2026). Preparedness of Dental Hygiene Students for Clinical Practice: A Scoping Review. International Journal of Dental Hygiene. https://doi.org/10.1111/idh.70076

q2 · i? · review · r2

Discussion-level synthesis in the review comparing program types, citing Sunell et al.'s surveys; the broader-scope contrast is attributed to prior competency work [53–56]. Narrative review assertion, no effect sizes.

"many students in baccalaureate programs still reported low confidence in these areas, suggesting that much of their exposure remains at the level of theoretical knowledge rather than applied experience"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• In Sunell et al.'s confidence surveys, graduating students showed high confidence in clinical therapy and collaboration but very low confidence in policy use and advocacy — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Dental hygiene graduates report persistent low confidence in policy use, research use, and advocacy relative to high confidence in clinical domains — a broader claim this one bears on
• Dental hygiene graduates are strong in foundational clinical skills but need more exposure to complex clinical cases during education — related
• Dental hygiene programs lack adequate preparation of students for care of older adults in alternative practice settings — related