Analysis of Dental Hygiene Curriculum in Korea and the United States

Objectives: This study aims to develop dental hygienist education and basic studies by deriving influential subjects through comparative analysis of dental hygiene curriculum in Korea and the United States.Methods: This study was conducted from March to May 2024 to derive influential topics by comparing and analyzing the curriculum of dental hygienists in the United States and Korea.The research method used the curriculum and existing data posted on the websites of universities in the United States and Korea.The contents of the dental hygienist curriculum were analyzed through the website of the U.S. university, and the contents of the dental hygienist curriculum were analyzed through the domestic university website.The basic fields of dental hygienist education in the United States and Korea were compared, and other subjects were opened focusing on the contents of the three-year and four-year curriculum.The literature review was conducted on 13 universities in the United States and 47 universities in the four-year system, and the curriculum of 59 universities and 25 universities in the three-year and 25 universities in 84 universities in Korea was investigated.In addition, among the basic subjects, the most opened universities were investigated, and the universities including similar names of basic subjects opened in Korea were investigated.Results: Dental hygienists say that Korean dental hygienists supervise oral health education, preventive dental treatment, medical cooperation, and management support and contribute to the improvement of oral health, but clinical dental hygiene is not standardized, so each school is composed of different subjects and educational goals.The dental hygiene department curriculum is conducted around gaining practical experience in the dental clinical field, and students conduct technical training on actual patients.Health center practice is also underway.The dental hygiene department curriculum is an important process to acquire the necessary competencies and expertise as a dental hygienist.Conclusions: The U.S. dental hygiene curriculum included more subjects representing a successful career in dental hygiene.To improve Korean students' clinical practice skills, the evaluation method and evaluation items need to be improved in the clinical dentistry curriculum in Korea