Dental Hygiene: Theory and Practice, Fourth Edition, is for students and
professionals who are interested in the use of evidence-based
knowledge to guide decision making in practice. Societal values and
healthcare reforms forecast the need for dental hygienists who can
assess situations, access information, make evidence-based decisions,
and collaborate with dentists and other health professionals in
providing quality, culturally appropriate healthcare. Research
evidence provides a framework for making decisions, solving
problems, explaining phenomena, and predicting outcomes that
enables the practitioner to continually re-evaluate and advance service
to society.
This book prepares dental hygienists to view their profession with
pride, understand its scope, and influence its advancement. The book
uses the process of care guided by a client’s human needs to
operationalize the roles of the dental hygienist as practitioner, client
advocate, manager, researcher, and health promoter.
Dental Hygiene: Theory and Practice, Fourth Edition, is predicated on
four key assumptions:
• Oral health and systemic health are inextricably linked; therefore
collaboration with other healthcare professions is essential for
quality client care.
• Theory, research, and client needs and values serve as the basis for
decision making.
• Dental hygienists are responsible and accountable for the services
they provide and for the professional judgments and decisions
they render.
• Accountability requires a systematic approach to practice, and this
approach is the dental hygiene process.
Given these assumptions, society has a right to access care from
individuals who are competent in making dental hygiene
assessments, diagnoses, and care plans; providing interventions; and
evaluating clinical outcomes.
