Home                   Member Login                   Contact ISDS                   Site Search

Printer Friendly

Email To A Friend

Home > For Your Practice > Business > Dental Hygiene Survey

Abstract for ISDS Dental Hygiene Survey -2001

Background: The number of available dental hygienists in Illinois has always been in question. In May 2001, ISDS conducted a survey to determine and analyze the availability of the dental hygiene workforce. This survey is a first of its kind for the state of Illinois in order to evaluate the supply of dental hygienists.

Method: ISDS Dental Hygiene Survey was distributed to 1,092 of the 4,365 dental hygienists licensed in Illinois from a zip code list provided by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation. Every fourth entry of the list was mailed a survey, allowing ISDS to reach 25% of the licensed dental hygienists. The zip codes were used in order to assure a geographical balance of responses. To increase response rate, an entry into a raffle was offered.

Results: Out of 475 responses, 438 currently practice in the state of Illinois. Fifty-seven percent of the responses came from the Chicago area (Cook, Lake, DuPage and McHenry counties). Of the 438 practicing hygienists in Illinois, 428 are in private practice and 73% of those hygienists work in one location.

Results indicate that 54.5% of hygienists work full-time (30 hours or more), and they work an average of 27.9 hours per week.

Only 34 hygienists out of the 438 currently practicing would like additional hours (less than 8%). Of those hygienists that are practicing part-time, only 7% want additional hours.

Of those responding to the survey, 76% graduated from an Illinois dental hygiene school. The survey was valid to a 95% confidence level (+/- 4%). The results have been verified by the Survey Research Office at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Conclusion: Based on these results, the current supply of hygienists is fully employed on a full- or part-time basis (92%). A minimal number of hygienists (8%) want to work additional hours. Of those hygienists that are practicing part-time, only about 7% want additional hours; therefore, they would be unable to have a large impact on supply as they already work an average of 27.9 hours.

Implications: No additional capacity exists within the current supply of dental hygienists. For the foreseeable future, dental hygienists in Illinois will be in demand. The future also appears bright for community colleges that have or are in the process of implementing a dental hygiene curriculum as their graduates will be greeted with an abundance of well paying, flexible job opportunities.