This assignment for Dental Hygiene Theory I tasked students with researching the dental hygiene field in other countries. I chose to research dental hygiene in Italy. There were many similarities between the Untied States and Italy regarding the practice of dental hygiene and all aspects that relate to the profession. I was surprised to learn that the Italian standards of care are quite similar to those in the United States.

1. Dental Care: A Look At Italy
Created by Kayla Robinson

2. Access to
Care
Statistics

3. Educational Requirements
Dentist
 Less expensive & tedious
 Receive a degree (DDS/DMD)
 Must pass dentistry licensure exam
Hygienist
 Two levels of degrees is necessary
 1st level degree is a minimum of 3 years
 2nd level degree is 2 years, which is the
dental hygiene program itself

4. Requirements of Practice
Must complete Italy’s
national examination
Fluent in the Italian language
- Written
- Spoken
Visa documentation Approval from the Ministry
of Health
- Must do this before looking and/or
starting a job

5. The
Governing
Body
They are responsible for creating the
Associazione Igienisti Dentali Italiani (AIDI)
The goal: promote the DH role within
their country
Become a member of the International
Federation of Dental Hygienist in 1989
(IFDH)
The first 14 dental hygienist graduated in
1981

6. Dental
Hygienist
Standard
Tasks
Dental health education
Primary prevention projects
Compilation odontostomatological medical record
Technical and statistical data collection
Removal of calculus and bacterial plaque
Scaling
Root planing
Polishing restorations
Salivary testing for the predictability of caries disease
Dental bleaching
Topical application of prophylactic means
Sealants
Oral hygiene instruction
Alimentary education
Counselling patients (nutrition and smoking)

7. Dress Code (PPE)
 Gloves
 Mask
 Scrubs with lab jacket
 Closed toed shoes
 Gown
 Protective head cover

8. Greetings
 Ciao (hello; hi [Informal])
 Ciao! is the most common way of saying hello and goodbye informally. You
should never use it with someone like a boss or a teacher or anyone else
with whom you’re using Lei (the formal version of you).
 Salve! (Hi; Bye [Formal/Informal])
 Che piacere vederti! (How nice it is to see you! [Informal])
 Buongiorno! (Hello; Good morning; Goodbye [Formal])
 Buona sera! (Hello; Good evening; Goodbye [Formal])
 Use the longer Buon giorno and Buona sera in more formal situations, like
when you enter a store.
 Arrivederci! (Goodbye! [Informal]/Arrivederla! (Goodbye! [Formal])
 A presto! (See you soon! [Formal/Informal])

9. Common
Food Effects
Overall the foods in Italy are healthy and as
long as they are eaten in one setting, they
are not bad for your dental health.
One concern with wine and coffee is
stain.
Gelato is very common and contains lots of
sugars, therefore should be eaten in
moderate and all at one time.

10. A Look As a Whole
• Infection control
• Educational programs
• Scope of practice
• Known to be very affordable (cost between 40-200 euros)
Strengths
• Oral cancer inspections (IO/EO)
• Access to care based on population and current number of DHWeaknesses

11. Additional Information Sites
 http://www.ifdh.org/wk_abroad/italy.html
 https://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2013/03/dental-hygienists-in-italy.html
 https://www.medicaldoctor-studies.com/Dental-Schools-in-Europe

12. References
 Italy. (2019). Retrieved from
http://www.ifdh.org/wk_abroad/italy.html
 Dental Schools in Europe. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.medicaldoctor-studies.com/Dental-Schools-in-
Europe
 Dental hygienists in Italy: Where are we? (2013, March 01).
Retrieved from
https://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2013/03/dental-
hygienists-in-italy.html
 Italian Greetings and Good-Byes. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.dummies.com/languages/italian/italian-
greetings-and-good-byes/