Magister Scientiae Dentium - MSc(Dent) / ‘A satisfied worker is a happy worker’, this statement by Robbins (1998), sums up the importance of job satisfaction. Locke (1976), defined job satisfaction as the ‘positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job and job experiences’. The Northern Cape province is the largest province in South Africa, by area. Oral health mainly focuses on primary health care and pain relief. Dental staff in the public sector are employed at district level, and not at sub-district level. This scenario requires dental staff (dentists, dental therapists, oral hygienists and dental assistants) to travel to rural areas that have working conditions that are not always optimal for dental treatment. Faced with numerous work-related challenges, it is believed that staff morale and motivation is particularly low in the province, as in the rest of South Africa in the public health sector (Howse, 2000). This research assessed the job satisfaction of dental staff in the public sector in the Northern Cape, and aims to make management aware of the need and the importance of oral health services, for staff and patients. The study found that the majority of the dental staff appear to enjoy their working environment (60%), love what their job entails (76%), and would like to continue their job in the long run (74%). Eighty percent of the participants reported that they experienced teamwork and 71% appreciated the support of their staff, which are very positive findings. However, it appears that the staff are not totally happy or satisfied with their work environment, and have identified various factors that need to be addressed to improve their job satisfaction. Seventy-four percent of the staff listed resources (human, financial, physical) as the major work-related factors that need to be addressed to improve their job satisfaction. iii The majority of the dental staff reported that the staff shortage, the poor communication with their administrator, the inadequate quantity and quality of equipment, the limited services being offered to patients, the lack of opportunities to make use of and improve their clinical skills, and their salary, are factors that need to be addressed to improve their job satisfaction. Just over half of the participants also stated that the salary they earn is not as important as the satisfaction gained from serving the public, and 80% of the participants felt that their job allows them to make a contribution to their community. Having a significant proportion of staff who feel that the salary they earn is not as important as serving their community is both interesting and praiseworthy. The dental staff seem to be giving of their best despite their current work environment, but expressed a need and willingness to deliver a more comprehensive oral health service that makes full use of their clinical skills, and that is not constrained by a lack of finances or limited treatment options. This is a positive foundation that needs to be built on to improve a service that clearly needs improving. The Department of Health of South Africa should provide adequate oral health services to the public, and should ensure that the dental staff are satisfied with their jobs. By identifying areas of concern that affect job satisfaction, these specific areas can be improved (Shugars et al, 1990). By increasing the dental staff’s job satisfaction, the staff morale can be improved. This will lead to increased productivity and quality of care (Harris et al 2008; Syptak et al, 1999). Satisfied practitioners are particularly important for a successful dental practice and the well-being of patients (Puriene et al, 2008a).

The dental services industry has suffered in recent years, a decline in profitability due to increased competitiveness in a faster rate than demand growth. In this scenario, we highlight the importance of knowing the consumer behavior of this sector, with the goal of improving the marketing activities and, consequently, to adapt the different aspects of the service to guide professionals and entrepreneurs. Thus, this study sought to identify what are the values to the client in the consumption of dental services in clinics and this city. For this, we performed a literature review of services marketing, the concept of personal values and the theory of means-end chain. Data were collected and analyzed using the laddering technique, also known as scaling, which is a technique developed to understand and grasp how consumers translate the attributes of products, through its effects on associative meanings about yourself that according to the theory of means-end, are the instrumental values and terminal. We identified important dimensions of values, with greater emphasis on "conservatism" and "autoaprimoramento. Specifically, we have in relation to personal values, we identified some patterns of behavior guided by them, such as "capacity" and some statesfinals of existence, including: welfare, development, happiness, and socialization. Regarding the attributes, we can highlight the price, references, cleaning, care, expertise and professional training. We noticed a concern of consumers in having quality assurance of treatment, recovery of the relationship with the dentist, the need for confidence in the profession, concern for aesthetics, with their self-esteem and your health, to achieve personal values. / O setor de serviços odontológicos sofreu, nos últimos anos, uma queda da rentabilidade devido ao aumento da competitividade em um ritmo superior ao crescimento da demanda. Nesse cenário, destaca-se a importância de conhecer o comportamento dos consumidores desse setor, com o objetivo de melhorar as ações de marketing e, consequentemente, adequar os diferentes aspectos que envolvem o serviço para orientar os profissionais e empresários do setor. Assim, o presente trabalho procurou identificar quais são os valores para o cliente no consumo de serviços odontológicos, em clínicas e consultórios de Uberlândia. Para isso, foi realizada uma revisão de literatura sobre marketing de serviços, o conceito de valores pessoais e a teoria da cadeia meios-fim. Os dados foram colhidos e analisados utilizando-se da técnica laddering, conhecida também por escalonamento, que é um processo elaborado para compreender e apreender como os consumidores traduzem os atributos dos produtos, passando por suas consequências, em significados associativos a respeito de si mesmo que, de acordo com a teoria de meios-fim, são os valores instrumentais e terminais. Foram identificadas dimensões importantes de valores, tendo ênfase maior em conservadorismo e autoaprimoramento . Especificamente, já em relação aos valores pessoais, foram reconhecidos, também, alguns padrões de comportamento guiado por eles, tais como capacidade e alguns estados-finais de existência, entre eles: bem-estar, realização, felicidade e socialização. Em relação aos atributos, podemos destacar o preço, as referências, a limpeza, o atendimento, a capacidade técnica e a formação do profissional. Percebemos uma preocupação dos consumidores em ter garantia da qualidade do tratamento, a valorização da relação com o dentista, a necessidade de confiança no profissional, a preocupação com a estética, com a autoestima e com a saúde, para alcançar os valores pessoais. / Mestre em Administração

Актуальность темы магистерской диссертации обусловлена возможностью практического применения методики внедрения CAD / CAM систем в стоматологические клиники. Научная новизна исследования состоит в том, проанализировано развитие ИТ в различных отраслях, определены преимущественные направления и инновационные эффекты от применения ИТ в отраслях промышленности. Результаты работы: разработан готовый проект внедрения CAD/CAM системы в стоматологическую клинику «Жемчуг» с учетом особенностей предприятия. Практическая значимость: разработанный план может быть внедрен в любую стоматологическую клинику при учете особенностей предприятия. Экономическая эффективность предлагаемых в диссертации мер обусловлена тем, что внедряемая CAD/CAM система окупится на двадцать четвертом месяце после начала ее опытной эксплуатации и в последующем будет приносить стабильный доход. / The relevance of the topic of the master's thesis is due to the possibility of practical application of the methodology for the implementation of CAD / CAM systems in dental clinics. The scientific novelty of the research consists in analyzing the development of IT in various industries, identifying the preferential directions and innovative effects from the use of IT in industries. Results of work: a ready-made project for the implementation of a CAD / CAM system in the dental clinic "Pearl" was developed, taking into account the characteristics of the enterprise. Practical significance: the developed plan can be implemented in any dental clinic, taking into account the characteristics of the enterprise. The economic efficiency of the measures proposed in the dissertation is due to the fact that the implemented CAD / CAM system will pay off in the twenty-fourth month after the start of its trial operation and subsequently will bring a stable income.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Oral health is crucial to overall health and a focus of the U.S. Health Center program, which provides preventive dental services in medically underserved communities. Dental hygiene is an oral health profession whose practice is focused on dental disease prevention and oral health promotion. Variations in the practice and regulation of dental hygiene has been demonstrated to influence access to dental care at a state level; restrictive policies are associated lower rates of access to care. Understanding whether and to what extent policy variations affect availability and access to dental care and the oral health of medically underserved communities served by grantees of the U.S. Health Center program is the focus of this study. This longitudinal study examines dental service utilization at 1,135 health center grantees that received community health center funding from 2004 to 2011. The Dental Hygiene Professional Practice Index (DHPPI) was used as an indicator of the state policy environment. The influence of grantee and state level characteristics are also considered. Mixed effects models were used to account for correlations introduced by the multiple hierarchical structure of the data. Key findings of this study demonstrate that state policy environment is a predictor of the availability and access to dental care and the oral health status of medically underserved communities that received care at a grantee of the U.S. Health Center program. Grantees located in states with highly restrictive policy environments were 73% less likely to deliver dental services and, those that do, provided care to 7% fewer patients than those grantees located in states with the most supportive policy environments. Population’s served by grantees from the most restrictive states received less preventive care and had greater restorative and emergency dental care needs. State policy environment is a predictor of availability and access to dental care and the oral health status of medically underserved communities. This study has important implications for policy at the federal, state, and local levels. Findings demonstrate the need for policy and advocacy efforts at all levels, especially within states with restrictive policy environments.