An Analysis of Dental Hygienists’ Practices and Perceptions Toward HPV Vaccination

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and can cause anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers. While HPV-related cancers are preventable through vaccination, vaccine initiation and completion rates remain suboptimal compared to other vaccines. Provider recommendation is the strongest predictor for vaccine uptake, and while oral health providers are well-positioned to recommend HPV vaccination to patients given the connection between HPV and oropharyngeal cancers, they may face unique barriers to implementation. Previous studies focused primarily on improving dental hygienists’ knowledge and confidence regarding HPV vaccination discussions rather than examining HPV vaccine beliefs and their impact on practice behaviors. This study sought to assess dental hygienists’ beliefs and behaviors related to HPV vaccine education guidelines. Data were collected from dental hygienists who attended an HPV-related continuing education (CE) course at a large regional dental conference. Approximately 26% of participants discussed HPV and oral cancer with all or some of their patients, 16% provided HPV vaccine education, and 15% recommended the vaccine to patients. Many did not believe patients would follow through on HPV vaccine referrals to primary care (59%) and felt that patients would be more receptive if dentists referred the vaccine compared to dental hygienists (39% and 22%, p = 0.0001). As rates of HPV-related cancers continue to rise, it is necessary to continue developing strategies that help dental hygienists become more comfortable with HPV cancer prevention. Future research should consider behavioral targets that can shift their attitudes and behaviors toward HPV vaccine education guideline implementation.