Mid-Level Dental Care Provider: Awareness and Attitudes of Ohio's Dental Hygienist

The purpose of this study was to determine the awareness and attitudes of dental hygienists in Ohio regarding the Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner (ADHP) proposed by the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA).;I developed a survey to assess dental hygienists' awareness and attitudes regarding the new midlevel dental provider. The study was limited to licensed dental hygienists in Ohio. The study included a simple random sample of 400 of the 4100 dental hygienists in Ohio. The method of data collection was electronic surveys. Fifty-four dental hygienists (13% of the sample) participated in the study.;The results show that most of those responding were aware of the ADHP. Also, their attitude regarding the new mid-level dental provider was positive. There was no consensus among respondents regarding the ADHP as a viable career option. More research is needed on the viability of the ADHP in Ohio.