Perceptions of Japanese and Canadian dental hygiene students towards their profession

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions towards the profession and level of self-esteem of Japanese and Canadian dental hygiene students. Methods: Third year dental hygiene students enrolled in a Japanese and a Canadian dental hygiene programme were asked to participate in a survey study. An instrument was developed to obtain students' opinions about the profession. The present study also explored dental hygiene students' levels of self-esteem, and the relationship with perceptions towards profession. Results: Scores for dimensions including 'Motivation', 'Expectation' and 'Environment' were significantly higher among the Canadian students over Japanese students. The level of explicit self-esteem of the Canadian students was significantly higher than that of the Japanese students, and it was positively correlated with their expectations of the profession. Conclusions: There were significant differences in perceptions between Japanese and Canadian dental hygiene students. It is suggested that educational strategies should be planned to positively influence the students' perceptions toward the profession and improve the level of self-esteem.