In 2000, the first ever Surgeon General Report on Oral Health was published in the United States. This report was eye opening in many ways because it drew attention to the sad situation that certain groups of persons in the USA have high levels of oral disease and cannot find dental care. Specifically, individuals from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds or who are part of an ethnic/racial minority group or have special health care needs will be likely to suffer more from poor oral health and lack of access to dental care.
The question therefore arises how allied students in the dental field can be best educated to contribute to meeting the health care needs of all individuals residing in the USA.
One interesting aspect of this situation that has so far not received any attention is the fact that the United States Department of Labor found in 2016 that only 2.9% of all dental hygienists are men. Only two other professions had similarly low percentages of men, namely speech language pathologists (98.4% women) and preschool/kindergarten teachers (97.2% women).
The question therefore arises how this enormous gender imbalance affects how well dental hygiene students are educated in general and specifically how it affects education about contributing to meet the health care needs of all individuals residing in the USA.
What attract me the most to this study that although the dental hygiene profession has opened its doors to males, little progress has been made in attracting them to the profession; little has been written about this minority; and little is known about why males have selected the profession, or what attracted them to it, in the first place.
This report is part of a larger study undertaken in 1996 and 1997 for the author’s doctoral dissertation. The study’s purpose was to explore the experiences of male dental hygienists–focusing on their experiences before, during, and after graduation.
The researcher interviewed 14 practicing male dental hygienists from east of the Mississippi River and one participant from the Midwest. Participants ranged in age from 28 to 48 years
Four questions were used to guide the study, four of which relate to this particular article:
- 1) What were their experiences after graduation when looking for a dental hygiene position?
- (2) What are their experiences and/or involvement with the local, state, and national dental hygiene professional organizations?
- (3) What special problems and/or advantages are inherent in being a male in a predominantly female profession?
- (4) What insights can these men provide to help increase the number of male dental hygienists?
From these general questions the more extensive interview protocol was developed for the actual interview process. In the discussions relating to participant experiences after graduating from dental hygiene schools, four themes emerged: no job search difficulties, feelings of societal gender stereotypes/discrimination, mixed feelings of acceptance by the profession, and a feeling of career satisfaction in the profession.
Theme 1: No Job-Search Difficulties
Of the 14 participants, 10 had no difficulty finding a job right after graduation. Four experienced some difficulty; however, all eventually found jobs after some unusual experiences in their search. One participant found his search much easier due to the presence of another well-known male dental hygienist who had been practicing in the community for several years.
Theme 2: Societal Gender Stereotypes/Discrimination
The analysis of the transcripts revealed that most problems encountered by these men were related more to societal gender stereotypes than to actual discrimination. Dental hygiene has always been associated with females, and even though men are beginning to enter the profession, patients, dentists, and the general public still view it as a predominantly female profession.
Theme 3: Mixed Feelings of Acceptance by the Profession
Of the 14 participants, only five belonged to the American Dental Hygienists’ Association. Six felt that the dues were too high; three of them felt the association did not meet their needs; and one did not belong because he felt his needs were not met by the association. Even though most did feel acceptance by the profession, several felt somewhat ostracized.
Theme 4: Career Satisfaction
The final theme that emerged from the transcripts was career satisfaction. At the end of each interview, several questions asked were designed to determine whether or not the participants were satisfied in the dental hygiene profession. From their responses, it became evident that many are happy in dental hygiene, but with some reservation. Only two participants stated that they hoped to be in some other career in the future, even though all liked working with people and most enjoyed the financial rewards of the profession.
The one person who did not recommend the profession, felt that the inability to move from state to state with his license was the main drawback. He did say that his dissatisfaction with the profession was not gender related but stemmed from problems related to control within the profession.