The prospect of a mentor-protégé model in dental hygiene as a supplementary approach to traditional clinical education.

Purpose: This study compared the person-centered approach alone and incorporated the mentor-protégé model to assess differences in self-efficacy, clinical skill acquisition, and anxiety/stress levels.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study recruited a convenience sample of dental hygiene students at New York University during the 2022-2023 academic year. The dental hygiene students who were taught through traditional methods only (control group) and those who experienced the mentor-protégé approach (intervention group) were compared. Data was collected from participants through anonymous surveys at the beginning and conclusion of the academic year. Additional information was gathered from the comparison group through a focus group.

Results: Participants from both groups responded favorably in measurements of self-efficacy. However, the comparison group had a significant increase in their self-rated ability to work independently (p = 0.008989). Changes in perceived clinical skill acquisition were not statistically significant, except for improvement in patient communication for the comparison group (p = 0.0197). The control group's anxiety/stress decreased by 12.5% (p = 0.0755) and the comparison group's anxiety/stress levels reduced by 28.3% (p = 0.0646) in the general clinics. The clinical course failing rate for the control group in fall 2022 semester was 9%, and the intervention group at 0%; no clinical course failures occurred in either group for Spring 2023 semester. There was a 100% passing rate achieved on the clinical board exam by both groups.

Conclusions: Implementing the mentor-protégé model in dental hygiene education enhances students' clinical learning experiences and aids in practice readiness.