{"id":72435,"date":"2024-03-25T11:15:51","date_gmt":"2024-03-25T03:15:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medicine.nus.edu.sg\/taps\/?post_type=issues&#038;p=72435"},"modified":"2024-07-02T10:13:32","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T02:13:32","slug":"dental-surgery-assistant-trainees-perceptions-of-mental-well-being-and-working-in-the-dental-clinic","status":"publish","type":"issues","link":"https:\/\/medicine.nus.edu.sg\/taps\/issues\/dental-surgery-assistant-trainees-perceptions-of-mental-well-being-and-working-in-the-dental-clinic\/","title":{"rendered":"Dental surgery assistant trainees\u2019 perceptions of mental well-being and working in the dental clinic"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Submitted: 12 June 2023<br \/>\r\nAccepted: 24 October 2023<br \/>\r\nPublished online: 2 April, TAPS 2024, 9(2), 81-86<br \/>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.29060\/TAPS.2024-9-2\/SC3066\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.29060\/TAPS.2024-9-2\/SC3066<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Lean Heong Foo<sup>1<\/sup>, Nurul Haziqah Binte Suhaimi<sup>2<\/sup>, Saudha Binte Sadimin<sup>2<\/sup>, Marianne Meng Ann Ong<sup>1<\/sup><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><i><sup>1<\/sup><\/i><i>Department of Restorative Dentistry, National Dental Centre, Singapore; <sup>2<\/sup>Dental Assisting, National Dental Centre, Singapore<\/i><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Abstract<\/span><\/b><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Introduction:<\/span><\/b><span lang=\"EN-GB\"> <\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">An online survey was conducted on 16 National Institute of Technical Education Certificate (NITEC) Dental Surgery Assistant (DSA) trainees in National Dental Centre Singapore to find out their perceptions and understanding of mental well-being.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Methods:<\/span><\/b><span lang=\"EN-GB\"> <\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">The 43-item survey included (i) Psychological General Well-being Index (PGWB) with 22 items based on 6 domains (anxiety, depression, positive well-being, self-control, general health, and vitality); (ii) 5 items on mental health knowledge; (iii) 4 items on lifestyle; and (iv) 12 items on perceptions of mental well-being and working in the dental clinic. Responses were collated for descriptive analysis and Cronbach\u2019s alpha analysis was done for internal consistency for Likert scale items.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Results:<\/span><\/b><span lang=\"EN-GB\"> <\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">The average PGWB score was 61.5 (range 18-89). Fourteen trainees (75%) indicated they were feeling depressed and 31.2% of trainees felt under stress in the past month. The majority (81.3%) of trainees recognised the role of exercise in maintaining mental health and 75% of trainees were able to differentiate between sadness and depression. However, 56.3% and 87.5% of the trainees incorrectly answered that mental and psychological disorders are not preventable conditions and mental disorders are caused by a wrong way of thinking respectively. The Cronbach\u2019s alpha on PGWB (<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">a<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\"> = 0.87) and trainees\u2019 perception of working in the clinic (<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">a<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\"> = 0.76) revealed good internal consistency. <\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Conclusion:<\/span><\/b><span lang=\"EN-US\"> The PGWB scores and survey analysis indicate there is a knowledge gap about mental health and the need to improve mental well-being in this cohort of NITEC DSA trainees. <\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\"><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Keywords<\/span><\/b><b><span lang=\"EN-GB\">:<\/span><\/b><span lang=\"EN-GB\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <i>Mental Well-being, Dental Surgery Assistant Trainee, Psychological General Well-being Index<\/i> <\/span><b><span lang=\"EN-GB\"><\/span><\/b><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\"><\/span><strong><span lang=\"EN-GB\">I. INTRODUCTION<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">In National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS), Dental Surgery Assistant (DSA) trainees are required to complete a 1-year National Institute of Technical Education Certificate (NITEC) DSA programme to be qualified as a DSA. Similar to the training of dental students, DSA trainees undergo a significant transition from learning in a classroom setting (4 weeks pre-clinical didactic and observation) to a high-stress dental clinic work environment (clinical) when they start on-the-job training 1 month after commencing their programme. During this transition period, they need to multi-task and adapt to new clinical responsibilities related to infection control, patient management, and assisting clinicians. It has been reported that 80% of 299 Israeli DSAs suffered from a high level of burnout where the most stressful work-related factors were low income, high workload, and work hazards (Uziel et al., 2019). A survey was thus conducted to gain insights into the perceptions of mental well-being and working in the dental clinic among NDCS\u2019s NITEC DSA trainees. This was a needs analysis survey done in June 2022 for a mental wellness module that aimed to provide support to DSA trainees enrolled in the 1-year NITEC DSA programme. <\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\"><\/span><strong><span lang=\"EN-GB\">II. METHODS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">An online anonymous survey with written consent was disseminated via Form.SG to the 2022 cohort of DSA trainees to complete three months after starting their 1-year programme. \u00a0The 43-item survey included (i) Psychological General Well-being Index (PGWB) with 22 items based on 6 domains (anxiety, depressed mood, positive well-being, self-control, general health and vitality) (Dupuy, 1984); (ii) 5 items on knowledge about mental health; (iii) 4 items on lifestyle; and (iv) 2 items on perception of mental well-being (adapted from Puspitasari et al., 2020) and 10 items on working in a dental clinic (crafted based on NDCS context). DSA trainees rated their level of agreement based on a 6-point Likert scale for PGWB (5 -most favourable response to 0 \u2013 unfavourable response) and a 5-point Likert scale for the perception of mental health and working in a dental clinic (5 \u2013 strongly agree to 1 \u2013 strongly disagree). The PGWB score ranges from 0 to 110, effectively representing an individual\u2019s comprehensive subjective well-being. Additionally, the six dimensions of the PGWB index provide valuable insights into the subjective well-being associated with each specific dimension. The survey responses were collated for descriptive analysis and Cronbach\u2019s alpha analysis was done for internal consistency for Likert scale items.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\"><\/span><strong><span lang=\"EN-GB\">III. RESULTS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">The entire cohort of s<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">ixteen DSA trainees {all female; age 17-50, mean 28.19 (23.39-32.99)} completed the online survey (100% response rate). <\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">The data of this study are openly available in the Figshare repository at <a href=\"http:\/\/doi.org\/10.6084\/m9.figshare.23501136\">http:\/\/doi.org\/10.6084\/m9.figshare.23501136<\/a>.<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\"><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Only 25% of trainees (4\/16) had more than 1 year of prior working experience in a dental clinic. Their collated responses based on their second-month experience of the 1-year programme are as follows:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><i><span lang=\"EN-US\"><\/span><\/i><i><span lang=\"EN-US\">A. Psychological General Well-being Index (PGWB) <\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\">The average PGWB score for this cohort was 61.5 (range 18-89, 95% CI 52.80 \u2013 70.20), indicating lower than average general well-being in this cohort {normal range <\/span>68-83 (Dupuy, 1984)}<span lang=\"EN-US\">. No significant correlation was found between age and dental clinic experience on PGWB (r=-0.03; -0.06). The Cronbach\u2019s alpha in PGWB (<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">a<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\"> = 0.93) indicated good internal reliability with a good individual domain analysis of 0.85 for all the domains (Appendix A: Table 1, Figures 2 and 3). <\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><i><span lang=\"EN-US\"><\/span><\/i><i><span lang=\"EN-US\">1) General health:<\/span><\/i><span lang=\"EN-US\"> The trainees achieved a mean score of 8.94 (Range 0-15) in general health. The majority (68.75%, 11\/16) of trainees agreed they felt healthy enough to function.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><i><span lang=\"EN-US\"><\/span><\/i><i><span lang=\"EN-US\">2) Positive well-being:<\/span><\/i><span lang=\"EN-US\"> The trainees experienced a lower than moderate level of positive emotion and life satisfaction with a mean score of 9.94 (Range 0-20)<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">. Only 5 out of 16 trainees (31.25%) were happy with their personal life most of the time. <\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\"><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><i><span lang=\"EN-US\"><\/span><\/i><i><span lang=\"EN-US\">3) Self-control:<\/span><\/i><span lang=\"EN-US\"> The trainees possessed a moderate to higher level of self-control in regulating their behavior and emotions (mean <\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">56<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">, Range 0-15<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">)<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">. However, about half of the cohort (56.25%, 9\/16) admitted they felt a lack of control over their action in the past month.<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\"><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><i><span lang=\"EN-US\"><\/span><\/i><i><span lang=\"EN-US\">4) Vitality:<\/span><\/i><span lang=\"EN-US\"> The trainees exhibited a moderate level of energy and vitality (<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">mean 10.31,<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\"> Range 0-20<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">)<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">. However, 7 trainees (43.75%) admitted they felt worn out and exhausted most of the time in the past month.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><i><span lang=\"EN-US\"><\/span><\/i><i><span lang=\"EN-US\">5) Depressed mood:<\/span><\/i><span lang=\"EN-US\"> The trainees, on average, experienced a relatively moderate level of depressive symptoms in the past month (mean:<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">88,<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\"> Range 0-15<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">).<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">Fourteen trainees (75%) admitted they were feeling depressed and 31.2% of trainees (5\/16) had felt under stress in the past month<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><i><span lang=\"EN-US\"><\/span><\/i><i><span lang=\"EN-US\">6) Anxiety:<\/span><\/i><span lang=\"EN-US\"> The trainees exhibited a moderate level of anxiety (mean 12.88, Range 0-25). Majority (81.25%, 13\/16) of trainees admitted they felt high-strung quite a good bit of time in the past month. <\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><i><span lang=\"EN-US\"><\/span><\/i><i><span lang=\"EN-US\">B. Knowledge about Mental Health<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Majority of DSA trainees (81.3%, 13\/16) recognised the role of exercise in maintaining mental health and 75% (12\/16) of trainees were able to differentiate between sadness and depression. However, 56.3% (9\/16) of the trainees incorrectly answered that mental and psychological disorders are not preventable conditions, and a majority (87.5%, 14\/16) incorrectly answered that mental disorders are caused by a wrong way of thinking (Appendix B).<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><i><span lang=\"EN-US\"><\/span><\/i><i><span lang=\"EN-US\">C. Lifestyle<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Half of the cohort exercised at least once a week. Only 50% of the cohort had self-care activities for themselves. Majority of the trainees (15\/16) did not meditate and 50% of the trainees sought help from their friends and family when necessary (Appendix B).<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><i><span lang=\"EN-US\"><\/span><\/i><i><span lang=\"EN-US\">D. Perception of Mental Well-being and Working in a Dental Clinic <\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Majority of the trainees also gave a neutral response (75%, 12\/16) to the statement related to stress from working in the dental clinic. Majority agreed that mental health is important for their general health (87.5%, 14\/16). Only half of the cohort indicated they were comfortable to work in the dental clinic (56.3%, 9\/16) (Figure 1). About \u00be of the cohort believed they could complete the training programme and were confident to perform the on-the-job training (75%, 12\/16). Majority (81.3%, 13\/16) were willing to seek help if they encountered problems working in the dental clinic (Figure 1). The Cronbach\u2019s alpha of trainees\u2019 perceptions of working in the clinic (<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">a<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\"> = 0.76) revealed good internal consistency.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/medicine.nus.edu.sg\/taps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/03\/SC3066-Figure-1-300x111.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-72436\" width=\"1550\" height=\"575\" srcset=\"https:\/\/medicine.nus.edu.sg\/taps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/03\/SC3066-Figure-1-300x111.png 300w, https:\/\/medicine.nus.edu.sg\/taps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/03\/SC3066-Figure-1-1024x380.png 1024w, https:\/\/medicine.nus.edu.sg\/taps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/03\/SC3066-Figure-1-768x285.png 768w, https:\/\/medicine.nus.edu.sg\/taps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/03\/SC3066-Figure-1.png 1374w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1550px) 100vw, 1550px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Figure 1. Perceptions of DSA trainees of mental well-being and working in the dental clinic in the second month of their 1-year programme<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\"><\/span><strong><span lang=\"EN-GB\">IV. DISCUSSION<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mental well-being is associated with one\u2019s ability to cope with normal stresses of life and work productivity. This is particularly important in health professionals, including DSAs, to ensure the quality of patient care and professional satisfaction. To our knowledge, this is the first local survey to investigate DSA trainees\u2019 perceptions of mental well-being and working in the dental clinic. The PGWB analysis revealed this cohort of DSA trainees had a lower-than-normal score that was even lower than a group of 320 Japanese dental students (61.5 versus 68.63) (<span lang=\"EN-US\">Sugiura et al., 2005)<\/span>. Additionally, the trainees also demonstrated moderate levels of depression and anxiety, with a detailed analysis indicating a significant number experiencing stress.\u00a0 This observation highlighted the transition from pre-clinical to clinical training phase can be challenging and stressful with increased workload and responsibility, as evident among DSAs who demonstrated a moderate level of professional burnout (Uziel et al., 2019). A similar trend was observed in this transition phase for dental students, where stress was associated with increased responsibility and demands associated with caring for real patients (<span lang=\"EN-US\">de Souza Ferreira et al., 2023). Despite the difference in curriculum and a larger student cohort, the<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span>Japanese dental students (<span lang=\"EN-US\">Sugiura et al., 2005) appeared to cope with their training better as their PGWB revealed they were more relaxed (Anxiety 16.43 versus 12.88) and cheerful (Depression 11.24 versus 9.88) compared with our DSA trainees. This finding reflects the need for providing mental well-being support for our DSA trainees in their programme. <\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">The misconceptions about mental health and infrequent self-care practices among trainees suggest a lack of awareness of mental wellness.\u00a0 Implementing a mental wellness module focusing on positive psychology, coping techniques like breathing exercises and meditation, and resource awareness can help address these issues. <\/span>The Trainees&#8217; willingness to seek help and recognise exercise&#8217;s role in mental health shows openness to support and intervention. Our pilot data is constrained by a small sample size and the absence of a control group for comparison, making it insufficient for general population inferences. The limitation of PGWBI includes only 6 dimensions and the potential of bias due to self-reported data. \u00a0Future recommendations involve re-evaluating the impact of the mental wellness module at the end of the 1-year program, inclusion of qualitative data, and establishing a supportive work environment with accessible mental health resources and mentorship to enhance the well-being and job satisfaction of DSAs.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\"><\/span><strong><span lang=\"EN-GB\">V. CONCLUSION<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">In conclusion, the survey findings from this small cohort of DSA trainees underscore the importance of addressing mental health and well-being in this group of learners. The high prevalence of depressive symptoms and reported stress among the trainees highlights the need for targeted interventions and support systems to promote mental well-being. Hence, a mental wellness module will be introduced to this cohort of DSA trainees and this survey will be repeated 3 months after the module completion to assess any changes in this cohort\u2019s perception of mental well-being and working in the dental clinic.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><strong><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Notes on Contributors<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">FLH reviewed the literature, contributed to the study conception, data acquisition, and data analysis, drafted, and critically revised the manuscript.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">NHS contributed to the data acquisition, data analysis, and critically revised the manuscript.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">SS contributed to the data acquisition, data analysis, and critically revised the manuscript.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">MO contributed to the study conception, data acquisition and critically revised the manuscript. All authors gave their final approval and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><strong><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Ethical Approval<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">This study was exempted from the formal Centralised Institutional Review Broad review by SingHealth Institutional Review Board (CIRB Ref: 2022\/2122).<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><strong><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Data Availability<\/span><\/strong><span lang=\"EN-GB\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in the Figshare repository <a href=\"http:\/\/doi.org\/10.6084\/m9.figshare.23501136\">http:\/\/doi.org\/10.6084\/m9.figshare.23501136<\/a>.<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\"><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><strong><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Acknowledgement<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span lang=\"EN-GB\">We would like to thank Ms Liu Yanting for her help in data preparation and collection. <\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><strong><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Funding<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">There was no funding involved in the preparation of the manuscript.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><strong><span lang=\"EN-GB\">Declaration of Interest<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">The authors declare no conflict of interest.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><strong><span lang=\"EN-GB\">References<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">de Souza Ferreira, F., Barros, I., da Costa Neves, T., Pazos, J. M., &amp; Garcia, P. P. N. S. (2023). Stress amongst dental students in the transition from preclinical training to clinical training: A qualitative study. <i>European Journal of Dental Education<\/i>.<span>\u00a027(3), 568-574.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Dupuy, H. J. (1984). The Psychological General Well-Being (PGWB) index. In: Wenger NK, Mattson ME, Furberg CF, &amp; Elinson J (Eds).<i> Assessment of quality of life in clinical trials of cardiovascular therapies. <\/i>170-183. Le Jacq.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Puspitasari, I. M., Garnisa, I. T., Sinuraya, R. K., &amp; Witriani, W. (2020). Perceptions, knowledge, and attitude toward mental health disorders and their treatment among students in an Indonesian university. <i>Psychology Research and Behaviour Management, 27<\/i>(13)<i>,<\/i> 845-854.<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Sugiura, G., Shinada, K., &amp; Kawaguchi, Y. (2005). Psychological well-being and perceptions of stress amongst Japanese dental students. <i>European Journal of Dental Education<\/i>. <i>9<\/i>(1),17-25.<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Uziel, N., Meyerson, J., Birenzweig, Y., &amp; Eli, I. (2019). Professional burnout and work stress among Israeli dental assistants. <i>Psychology, Health &amp; Medicine, 24<\/i>(1)<i>,<\/i> 59-67.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">*Foo Lean Heong<br \/>\r\nNational Dental Centre Singapore<br \/>\r\n<span lang=\"EN-GB\">5, Second Hospital Avenue<\/span><br \/>\r\n<span lang=\"EN-GB\">168938 Singapore<\/span><br \/>\r\nEmail: foo.lean.heong@singhealth.com.sg<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":9,"template":"","issues_category":[17],"archive_category":[],"issue_type":[25],"volume_category":[61882],"class_list":["post-72435","issues","type-issues","status-publish","hentry","issues_category-short-communications","issue_type-past-issue","volume_category-volume-9-number-2-april-2024"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dental surgery assistant trainees\u2019 perceptions of mental well-being and working in the dental clinic - The Asia Pacific Scholar<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/medicine.nus.edu.sg\/taps\/issues\/dental-surgery-assistant-trainees-perceptions-of-mental-well-being-and-working-in-the-dental-clinic\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dental surgery assistant trainees\u2019 perceptions of mental well-being and working in the dental clinic - The Asia Pacific Scholar\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Submitted: 12 June 2023 Accepted: 24 October 2023 Published online: 2 April, TAPS 2024, 9(2), 81-86 https:\/\/doi.org\/10.29060\/TAPS.2024-9-2\/SC3066 Lean Heong Foo1, Nurul Haziqah Binte Suhaimi2, Saudha Binte Sadimin2, Marianne Meng Ann Ong1 1Department of Restorative Dentistry, National Dental Centre, Singapore; 2Dental Assisting, National Dental Centre, Singapore Abstract Introduction: An online survey was conducted on 16 National [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/medicine.nus.edu.sg\/taps\/issues\/dental-surgery-assistant-trainees-perceptions-of-mental-well-being-and-working-in-the-dental-clinic\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Asia Pacific Scholar\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-07-02T02:13:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/medicine.nus.edu.sg\/taps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/03\/SC3066-Figure-1-300x111.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/medicine.nus.edu.sg\\\/taps\\\/issues\\\/dental-surgery-assistant-trainees-perceptions-of-mental-well-being-and-working-in-the-dental-clinic\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/medicine.nus.edu.sg\\\/taps\\\/issues\\\/dental-surgery-assistant-trainees-perceptions-of-mental-well-being-and-working-in-the-dental-clinic\\\/\",\"name\":\"Dental surgery assistant trainees\u2019 perceptions of mental well-being and working in the dental clinic - 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