Developing role of dental hygienists in Japan

SummaryIn Japan, the profession of the dental hygienist was created at the behest of GHQ in 1948, and as such forms part of the occupation's contribution to public health against a backdrop of postwar politics. The law was revised seven years later, allowing dental hygienists to assist in dental practice, particularly at dental clinics/hospitals.The number of dental hygienists currently exceeds 100,000, which is greater than the number of both dentists and dental technicians. This may reflect the inclusion of insurance-covered dental health guidance as part of their duties. Indeed, it has been confirmed that dental clinics with more dental hygienists make higher profits.Revision of legislation relating to dental hygienists enhanced demand for dental hygienists and led to an increase in the number of training institutions for dental hygienists, longer duration of training, and more four-year colleges.Therefore, the Japan Dental Association and Japanese Association of Dental Science undertook a review of the scope of the duties of the dental hygienist.