Handling mental, workplace well-being in dental hygiene

Researchers have examined dental hygiene psychological well-being and work-related factors.

In a study published in the Journal of Dental Hygiene, the researchers asked more than 400 dental hygienists to complete a survey regarding their psychological resilience, emotional labor, well-being and work-related variables.

The researchers found that the respondents with self-confidence had greater life well-being, whereas those who reported longer hours worked had poorer life well-being. Predictors of workplace well-being included self-confidence, deep acting (an emotional regulation technique involving the modification of internal feelings to match the expected emotions) and age. Further, dental hygienists who reported higher self-confidence and self-efficacy as well as deep acting experienced increased psychological well-being. Surface acting (an emotional regulation technique involving displaying outward expressions to match the expected emotions) was associated with poorer life, workplace and psychological well-being.

Although dental hygienists demonstrated high levels of psychological resilience, emotional coping mechanisms demonstrated an adverse effect on their workplace well-being. The researchers emphasized the need for strategies to aid dental hygienists in managing emotional labor.

Read more: Journal of Dental Hygiene

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