Who is thought to be a "reliable dentist"? - Lithuanian dentists' opinion.

PubMed

Puriene, Alina; Balciuniene, Irena; Drobnys, Povilas

2008-01-01

To find out which attributes, according to Lithuanian dentists, are the most important for a "reliable dentist". All the 140 participants of republican dentists' conference were given a questionnaire. The response rate was 64,3%. The answers about the importance of dentist's attributes were presented on a 5-point Likert scale. The statistical data analysis, using the chi2 criterion was carried out. The importance of behaviour during painful and unpleasant procedures, painless treatment and ability to control stressful situations was emphasized by 87%, 83% and 76% of respondents. To add, qualification, communication skills, ability to answer patient's questions clearly, respecting patient's confidentiality were accentuated as well by 78%, 82%, 84% and 74% of dentists. Although, gender was not an essential quality for 78% of respondents, 62% of them reported that dentist's age was very important. Those, who are over 30, emphasized the value of erudition (chi2=0.464; p<0.01), punctuality (chi2=25.467; p=0.001), specialization (chi2=15.808; p<0.05), low treatment cost (chi2=17.393; p<0.05) more significantly than their younger colleagues. No need to wait for a dentist's appointment was appreciated more by respondents, whose work experience is over 30 years (chi2=20.601; p<0.05). Most Lithuanian dentists emphasized the importance of pain management, painless treatment, behaviour during painful and unpleasant procedures, communication skills and ability to answer patient's questions clearly, which are vital for a "reliable dentist".

Harmonizing professional, personal, and social responsibilities: Indian women dentists' perspectives.

PubMed

Nagda, Suhasini Jayantilal

2015-05-01

Women in Indian culture have a paradoxical status: on the one hand, goddesses are worshipped for power and prosperity; on the other hand, working women face challenges due to age-old beliefs and sociocultural norms. With 60% of the students enrolled in undergraduate dental education currently being women, there is a need to study the challenges these women are facing and how they tackle them. The aim of this survey study was to assess the barriers women dentists face in career advancement and how successfully they balance the personal, professional, and social aspects of their lives. Questionnaires, consisting of four qualitative and 24 quantitative items, were distributed to 500 women dentists: postgraduate residents and faculty members in dental colleges of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, as well as private dental practitioners. Of the 500 women, 210 returned the survey, for an overall response rate of 42%. The results showed that 95% of the respondents believed they successfully balance the various spheres of their lives, but the most common challenges they faced continued to be traditional gender bias, dual professional and home responsibilities, and preconceived ideas about women.

Pediatric dentists' perspective of general dentists' role in treating children aged 0-3 years.

PubMed

Coe, Julie M; Razdan, Shinjni; Best, Al M; Brickhouse, Tegwyn H

2017-01-01

This study examined pediatric dentists' perspectives on the types of dental services general dentists provide to children who are 0-3 years old. A web-based survey was sent to 5185 pediatric dentists and 769 (14.8%) responded. Among the respondents, 58% agreed with general dentists' providing an age 1 dental visit. Only 24% agreed with general dentists' performing complex behavior management techniques, such as sedation, to patients aged 0-3 years. Those respondents who taught pediatric dentistry full time were more likely to agree with general dentists' providing an age 1 dental visit (P = 0.0088). Those who reported that their own dental school had adequately prepared them for this type of age 1 visit were also more in agreement (P < 0.0001). The results of this study promote better understanding of pediatric dentists' perceptions of the level of collaboration between general dentists and pediatric dentists; the types of oral health services general dentists can provide for children aged 0-3 years; and the anticipated level of competency of entry-level general dentists.

Preparation of Experienced Teachers to Address Teacher Shortages: A Quantitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Lisa Davis

2009-01-01

Public educational institutions are facing the problem of a shortage of experienced, certified, skilled teachers in the areas of special education, English as a Second Language, mathematics, biology or life science, bilingual education, and music. This shortage compounds difficulties in serving students in these areas. Reasons for this shortage…

For the Health-Care Work Force, a Critical Prognosis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rahn, Daniel W.; Wartman, Steven A.

2007-01-01

The United States faces a looming shortage of many types of health-care professionals, including nurses, physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and allied-health and public-health workers. There may also be a shortage of faculty members in the health sciences. The results will be felt acutely within the next 10 years. Colleges and health-science…

Solving nursing shortages: a common priority

PubMed Central

Buchan, James; Aiken, Linda

2009-01-01

Aims and objectives This paper provides a context for this special edition. It highlights the scale of the challenge of nursing shortages, but also makes the point that there is a policy agenda that provides workable solutions. Results An overview of nurse:population ratios in different countries and regions of the world, highlighting considerable variations, with Africa and South East Asia having the lowest average ratios. The paper argues that the ‘shortage’ of nurses is not necessarily a shortage of individuals with nursing qualifications, it is a shortage of nurses willing to work in the present conditions. The causes of shortages are multi-faceted, and there is no single global measure of their extent and nature, there is growing evidence of the impact of relatively low staffing levels on health care delivery and outcomes. The main causes of nursing shortages are highlighted: inadequate workforce planning and allocation mechanisms, resource constrained undersupply of new staff, poor recruitment, retention and ‘return’ policies, and ineffective use of available nursing resources through inappropriate skill mix and utilisation, poor incentive structures and inadequate career support. Conclusions What now faces policy makers in Japan, Europe and other developed countries is a policy agenda with a core of common themes. First, themes related to addressing supply side issues: getting, keeping and keeping in touch with relatively scarce nurses. Second, themes related to dealing with demand side challenges. The paper concludes that the main challenge for policy makers is to develop a co-ordinated package of policies that provide a long term and sustainable solution. Relevance to clinical practice This paper highlights the impact that nursing shortages has on clinical practice and in health service delivery. It outlines scope for addressing shortage problems and therefore for providing a more positive staffing environment in which clinical practice can be

Disparity in perception of the working condition of dental hygienists between dentists and dental hygiene students in Japan.

PubMed

Muroga, R; Tsuruta, J; Morio, I

2015-08-01

In Japan, there continues to be a shortage of active dental hygienists. The scope of dental hygienists' practice is also considered to be unclear. One of the reasons for this is that dental hygienists find the working conditions during dental hygiene education different from those in reality. The purpose of this study was to clarify the actual working condition of dental hygienists in dental clinics, as well as evaluate the awareness of dental hygiene students and dentists regarding the working condition of dental hygienists. Questionnaires were sent by post to 481 dentists and were distributed to 89 dental hygiene students. The awareness about the working condition of dental hygienists was compared between dentists and dental hygiene students. Two hundred twenty-two dentists and 89 dental hygiene students responded to questionnaires. Dental hygiene students considered the team of 'dental hygienist, dental technician and clerk' to be more effective in providing dental care than dentists (P < 0.001). Among the dentists, 37.1% did not find any clear distinction between hygienists and assistants in their clinics. However, 97.4% of dental hygiene students answered that dental team members should clearly inform patients of the distinction between hygienists and assistants. This study indicated that there was disparity between dentists' and dental hygiene students' perception of dental hygienists' working conditions, and dental team work was not always effective. For training high quality dental hygienists, all educational institutions related to dentistry must educate students regarding the more realistic dental hygienists' working condition, as well as benefits. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Should Dental Schools Train Dentists to Routinely Provide Limited Preventive Primary Medical Care? Two Viewpoints: Viewpoint 1: Dentists Should Be Trained to Routinely Provide Limited Preventive Primary Care and Viewpoint 2: Dentists Should Be Trained in Primary Care Medicine to Enable Comprehensive Patient Management Within Their Scope of Practice.

PubMed

Giddon, Donald B; Donoff, R Bruce; Edwards, Paul C; Goldblatt, Lawrence I

2017-05-01

This Point/Counterpoint acknowledges the transformation of dental practice from a predominantly technically based profession with primary emphasis on restoration of the tooth and its supporting structures to that of a more medically based specialty focusing on the oral and maxillofacial complex. While both viewpoints accept the importance of this transformation, they differ on the ultimate desired outcome and how changes should be implemented during training of dentists as oral health professionals. Viewpoint 1 argues that, in response to a shortage of both primary care providers and access to affordable oral health care, dentists need to be able and willing to provide limited preventive primary care (LPPC), and dental educators should develop and implement training models to prepare them. Among changes proposed are consideration of three types of practitioners: oral physicians with sufficient training to provide LPPC; dentists with excellent technical proficiency but minimal medical and surgical training; and mid-level providers to provide simple restorative and uncomplicated surgical care. Viewpoint 2 argues that the objective of dentists' education in primary care medicine is to help them safely and effectively provide all aspects of oral health care, including appropriate preventive medical care, that already fall within their scope of knowledge and practice. Dental educators should encourage students to use this knowledge to take full ownership of non-tooth-related pathologic conditions of the oral and maxillofacial complex not currently managed in the dental setting, but encouraging graduates to expand into non-dental LPPC outside the recognized scope of practice will only further exacerbate fragmentation of care.

Motives underlying food choice: dentists, porters and dietary health promotion.

PubMed

Crossley, M L; Khan, S N

2001-08-25

Differences in dental decay and disease amongst socioeconomic groups are thought to derive, in part, from variations in dietary practices and differences in education. The aim of this exploratory study was to examine whether differences in motivating factors affecting food choice could be found in a comparison of two groups at very different ends of the social spectrum: dentists and porters/cleaners. A convenience sample of 100 people (51 porters/cleaners and 49 dentists) working in the dental school at a university in the North West of England were approached to interview face-to-face and complete the Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ), a previously validated measure designed to assess nine main factors relevant to peoples' food choices. A sample size of 100 was chosen because it was adequate to test validity (using a two-group Chi-square test with a 0.050 two sided significance). Findings were analysed using independent sample t-test and multiple linear regression. Results indicated significant differences between porters/cleaners and dentists in terms of their motives for food choice on six of the nine FCQ factors. These included convenience (p < 0.001), natural content (p < 0.05), price (p < 0.005), familiarity (p < .0001), mood (p < 0.03) and ethical concern (p < 0.01). Porters/cleaners tended to rate the factors covenience, price, mood and familiarity more highly, whereas dentists did the same for natural content and ethical concern. Awareness of the differences in motivational factors affecting food choice between different social groups is important to dental practitioners who are being taught to play an increasing role in health promotion. If dental practitioners are to partake meaningfully in such a role, it is necessary for them to be aware not only of their own motives in food selection, but also of the way in which those motives may differ from those of their clients.

Cancer mortality among Brazilian dentists.

PubMed

Koifman, Sergio; Malhão, Thainá Alves; Pinto de Oliveira, Gisele; de Magalhães Câmara, Volney; Koifman, Rosalina Jorge; Meyer, Armando

2014-11-01

Previous studies have variably shown excess risks of elected cancers among dentists. National Brazilian mortality data were used to obtain mortality patterns among dentists between 1996 and 2004. Cancer mortality odds ratios (MORs) and cancer proportional mortality ratios for all cancer sites were calculated, using the general population and physicians and lawyers as comparison groups. Female dentists from both age strata showed higher risks for breast, colon-rectum, lung, brain, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Compared to physicians and lawyers, higher MOR estimates were observed for brain cancer among female dentists 20-49 yr. Among male dentists, higher cancer mortality was found for colon-rectum, pancreas, lung, melanoma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Higher risk estimates for liver, prostate, bladder, brain, multiple myeloma and leukemia were observed among 50-79 yr old male dentists. If confirmed, these results indicate the need for limiting occupational exposures among dentists in addition to establishing screening programs to achieve early detection of selected malignant tumors. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Community Health Crisis: Solving the Nurse Shortage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vitiello, Erie

2003-01-01

Describes how Los Rios Community College District (LRCCD), California, the major provider of nursing graduates to the Sacramento area, addressed the issue of the nursing shortage crisis. LRCCD faced the dual issues of student/faculty ratio restrictions of 10/1 and funding that accommodated a 40/1 ratio. Describes LRCCD's new off-campus,…

Offspring sex ratio of Iranian dentists.

PubMed

Ghasemi, Hadi; Mirdehghan, Seyedeh Reihaneh; Namdari, Mahshid; Bayat, Fariborz

2016-11-01

To assess the impact of occupational factors on the sex ratio of dentists' children. A randomly selected 501 Iranian dentists participated in a telephone interview. The participants were contacted by their mobile number to answer questions about demographic variables (gender, age, marriage status), practice-related variables (year of graduation as general or specialist dentist, years of clinical work, working hours, average number of radiographs taken in a day, and spouse's job), and questions about their children (number, gender and date of birth of each child). Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-square tests served for statistical evaluation. Of all participating dentists, 71 % were men, about two-thirds were 35- to 50-year olds, and 89 % were married. In total, the dentists had 768 children; about 21 % had no child. Of all the children, 54 % were boys (overall sex ratio = 1.17). The offspring sex ratio was 1.13 among male dentists, 1.50 for female dentists, and 1.44 when both parents were dentists. Higher percentages of boys were prevalent among female dentists, younger dentists, and general dental practitioners (p < 0.008). Demographic and practice-related factors showed some impact on proportions of both sexes of dentists' children in this study. However, the result needs evaluation in further studies.

Job satisfaction among 'migrant dentists' in Australia: implications for dentist migration and workforce policy.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, M; Spencer, A J; Short, S D; Watkins, K; Chrisopoulos, S; Brennan, D S

2016-06-01

Migrants occupy a significant proportion of the dental workforce in Australia. The objectives of this study were to assess the level of job satisfaction of employed migrant dentists in Australia, and to examine the association between various migrant dentist characteristics and job satisfaction. All migrant dentists resident in Australia were surveyed using a five-point Likert scale that measured specific aspects of job, career and satisfaction with area and type of practice. A total of 1022 migrant dentists responded to this study; 974 (95.4%) were employed. Responses for all scales were skewed towards strongly agree (scores ≥4). The overall scale varied by age group, marital status, years since arrival to Australia and specialist qualification (chi-square, p < 0.05). In a multivariate logistic regression model, there was a trend towards greater satisfaction amongst older age groups. Dentists who migrated through the examination pathway (mainly from low- and middle-income countries) had a lower probability of being satisfied with the area and type of practice (OR = 0.71; 0.51-0.98), compared with direct-entry migrant dentists (from high-income countries). The high level of job satisfaction of migrant dentists reflects well on their work-related experiences in Australia. The study offers policy suggestions towards support for younger dentists and examination pathway migrants, so they have appropriate skills and standards to fit the Australian health care environment. © 2016 Australian Dental Association.

Children's Access to Dental Care Affected by Reimbursement Rates, Dentist Density, and Dentist Participation in Medicaid.

PubMed

Chalmers, Natalia I; Compton, Robert D

2017-10-01

To assess the relation between Medicaid reimbursement rates and access to dental care services in the context of dentist density and dentist participation in Medicaid in each state. Data were from Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment reports for 2014, Medicaid reimbursement rate in 2013, dentist density in 2014, and dentist participation in Medicaid in 2014. We assessed patterns of mediation or moderation. Reimbursement rates and access to dental care were directly related at the state level, but no evidence indicated that higher reimbursement rates resulted in overuse of dental services for those who had access. The relation between reimbursement rates and access to care was moderated by dentist density and dentist participation in Medicaid. We estimate that more than 1.8 million additional children would have had access to dental care if reimbursement rates were higher in states with low rates. Children who access the dental care system receive care, but reimbursement may significantly affect access. States with low dentist density and low dentist participation in Medicaid may be able to improve access to dental services significantly by increasing reimbursement rates.

Practice settings and dentists' job satisfaction.

PubMed

Lo Sasso, Anthony T; Starkel, Rebecca L; Warren, Matthew N; Guay, Albert H; Vujicic, Marko

2015-08-01

The nature and organization of dental practice is changing. The aim of this study was to explore how job satisfaction among dentists is associated with dental practice setting. A survey measured satisfaction with income, benefits, hours worked, clinical autonomy, work-life balance, emotional exhaustion, and overall satisfaction among dentists working in large group, small group, and solo practice settings; 2,171 dentists responded. The authors used logistic regression to measure differences in reported levels of satisfaction across practice settings. Dentists working in small group settings reported the most satisfaction overall. Dentists working in large group settings reported more satisfaction with income and benefits than dentists in solo practice, as well as having the least stress. Findings suggest possible advantages and disadvantages of working in different types of practice settings. Dentists working in different practice settings reported differences in satisfaction. These results may help dentists decide which practice setting is best for them. Copyright © 2015 American Dental Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Professional liability claims against dentists].

PubMed

Moscoso Matus, Karla; Smok Vásquez, Pía

2015-03-01

The frequency and features of malpractice lawsuits against dentists in Chile are not well known. To determine the magnitude and frequency of professional liability claims against dentists. A retrospective analysis of the Medical Liability Unit of the Legal Medical Service of Chile database. This public organization deals with most professional liability claims in Chile. Between 2007 and 2012, 3,990 expert opinions about liability of health care professionals were requested. Odontology was the fifth specialty most commonly sued and dentists, the second most frequently sued professionals. Sixty nine percent of cases originated in private clinics, which is coincident with a higher frequency of dentists working in private practice. Most petitioners were adult women and most claims originated from surgical interventions and infections. In 35% of claims against dentists, a violation of Lex Artis was confirmed, compared with 9% of all expert opinions that generated in the unit. Claims against dentists are more common than previously thought and these professionals should adopt preventive measures to avoid them.

The Effects of Distance to Dentists and Dentist Supply on Children's Use of Dental Care.

PubMed

Wehby, George L; Shane, Dan M; Joshi, Adweta; Momany, Elizabeth; Chi, Donald L; Kuthy, Raymond A; Damiano, Peter C

2017-10-01

To examine the effects of distance to dentists and dentist supply on dental services use among children with Medicaid coverage in Iowa. Iowa Medicaid claims for enrolled children between 2000 and 2009. The study sample included 41,554 children (providing 158,942 child-year observations) who were born in Iowa between 2000 and 2006 and enrolled from birth in the Iowa Medicaid program. Children were followed through 2009. We used logistic regression to simultaneously examine the effects of distance (miles to nearest dentist) and county-level dentist supply on a broad range of dental services controlling for key confounders. Additional models only used within-child variation over time to remove unobservable time-invariant confounders. Distance was related to lower utilization of comprehensive dental exams (2 percent lower odds per 1 mile increase in distance), an effect that also held in models using within-child variation only. Dentist supply was positively related to comprehensive exams and other preventive services and negatively related to major dental treatments; however, these associations became smaller and insignificant when examining within-child changes except for other preventive services. Longer distance to dentists is a barrier for use of comprehensive dental exams, conditional on dentist supply. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

The role of dentists in dentistry.

PubMed

Chambers, D W

2001-12-01

The extent to which dentists influence the outcomes of dental care, compared to the effects of dental technology or patient variation, has not been well studied. A review of the literature on the personality and value structures of dentists and dental students reveals general trends involving preferences of concrete, utilitarian, unambiguous, and conventional situations that are classified and judged in terms of their potential for dentists' power and control and for relationships of helping others but avoiding mutual dependency. These findings are summarized in a hypothesis that dentists seek situations where they can exercise control and establish paternalistic relationships with others. The evidence about career satisfaction of dentists is difficult to interpret. Between 20 percent and 50 percent of dentists report that they would not choose to enter the profession again if given a chance. Yet the number leaving the profession voluntarily is less than the number of career changers in the general population by a factor of about 1 to 15. Career satisfaction of practitioners can be partially predicted from an understanding of dentists' personality and values. Factors such as uncooperative patients, incompetent staff, and government and insurance intrusions are major dissatisfiers; they threaten dentists' core need for control. Factors such as quality of work, which is under the control of dentists, are major satisfiers. The personalities and values of dentists and the expression of these in professional norms may function to limit our understanding of dentistry. Based on this analysis, eight predictions are offered about the profession.

Dentist-patient communication: what do patients and dentists remember following a consultation? Implications for patient compliance.

PubMed

Misra, Sara; Daly, Blánaid; Dunne, Stephen; Millar, Brian; Packer, Mark; Asimakopoulou, Koula

2013-01-01

There is a lack of information about the extent to which patients recall key facts of dental consultations. Forgetting health advice undermines adherence with such instructions and is a potential problem. This study assessed the quantity and type of information recalled in a dental consultation, dentist-patient agreement over the contents of the consultation, and the relationship of such recall with patient satisfaction. Using a cross-sectional design, questionnaire data were obtained from patients recruited through a letter and presenting for a routine dental consultation. General issues discussed, specific information about oral health given, dentist-performed procedures, and agreed future actions were reported independently in writing, by patients and also by the treating dentist immediately postconsultation. Additionally, patients completed a dental visit satisfaction questionnaire. Responses (n = 26, 55% response rate) were content-analyzed, and data on the number and type of information that was recalled were obtained. Interrater reliability was established. Inferential testing showed differences in dentist-patient recall, dentist-patient agreement, and the association between patient recall and satisfaction. Dentists recalled more information than patients (P = 0.001). Dentists further reported giving more dental health education (P = 0.006) and discussing more future actions (P = 0.002) than patients actually remembered. Technical (eg, crowns/bridges) rather than psychosocial (eg, pain/embarrassment) issues were reported more often (P = 0.001) by both dentists and patients. Dentist-patient agreement over issues discussed and procedures performed was higher (kappa = 0.210-0.310) than dental health education agreement and agreed future actions (kappa = 0.060-0.110). There was no relationship between patient recall and patient satisfaction with the consultation (P = 0.240). Patients do not recall as much advice and agreed actions about future dental care as

Strategies to address the nursing shortage in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Aboshaiqah, A

2016-09-01

To investigate the nursing shortage in Saudi Arabia and specifically the shortage of Saudi nurses in the healthcare workforce and to propose solutions. Literature published from 1993 to 2013 providing relevant information on the nursing shortage, cultural traditions and beliefs, and nursing education and policies in Saudi was accessed from multiple sources including Medline, CINAHL Plus and Google Scholar and from official Saudi government document and was reviewed. Saudi Arabia depends largely on an expatriate workforce, and this applies to nursing. Saudi Arabia is experiencing a nursing shortage in common with most countries in the world and a shortage of Saudi nationals, especially women, in the healthcare workforce. The world shortage of nursing is extrinsic to Saudi, but intrinsic factors include a poor image of the nursing profession in the country that is exacerbated by cultural factors. With the call for the Saudization of the workforce to replace the imported workforce by Saudi nationals, including nurses, through the 1992 Royal Decree, Saudi Arabia faces a problem in attracting and retaining Saudi nationals in the nursing workforce. Solutions are suggested that are aimed at improving the public image of nursing through education and the use of the media and improvements in the workplace by addressing working processes such as teamwork, ensuring adequate staffing levels and addressing some aspects of culture which may make working in nursing more compatible with being a Saudi national. © 2016 International Council of Nurses.

Assessing Oral Cancer Awareness Among Dentists.

PubMed

Kebabcıoğlu, Özge; Pekiner, Filiz Namdar

2017-03-01

The aim of this study was to assess oral cancer awareness among dentists who attended 101st FDI World Dental Congress, İstanbul, Turkey. Among 170 dentists who agreed to participate, there were 13 oral surgeons, 6 restorative dentists, 4 endodontists, 4 orthodontists, 6 periodontists, 5 pedodontists, and 14 prosthodontists. Knowledge of oral cancer risk factors and diagnosis procedures, dentists' attitude towards oral cancers, management practice regarding oral cancer, and oral cancer information sources were assessed using 25 questions. The data were analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 program. Among 170 participant dentists, there were 69 (40.6%) male dentists and 101 (59.4%) female dentists. Largest number of them identified tobacco (98.8%) and alcohol usage (91.2%), prior oral cancer lesions (95.3%), viral infections (90.0%), UV exposure (86.5%), and betel quid chewing (80.6%), and lower numbers reported older age (56.5%) and low consumption of fruit and vegetables (52.4%). Oral medicine specialists scored marginally higher in indicating erythroplakia and leukoplakia most likely to be precancerous and squamous cell carcinoma as the most common form of oral cancer (p < 0.01). This study highlighted the importance of improved educational methods for dentists on oral cancer detection and prevention.

A survey of attitudes, behaviors, and needs of team dentists.

PubMed

McGovern, Lesley A; Spolarich, Ann Eshenaur; Keim, Robert

2015-01-01

Elite athletes strive to attain superior levels of health and fitness; however, many have high levels of oral disease. Oral screenings detect disease and need for treatment and identify opportunities for preventive interventions. Many dentists volunteer their time with sports organizations, but their scope of practice and needs are unknown. The purposes of this study were to gather baseline data about attitudes, practice behaviors, and needs of team dentists and to assess dental services provided, including the type and frequency of oral screenings conducted on athletes and any associated barriers to those screenings. This descriptive study utilized an original online survey, comprising 37 supplied-response questions, that was pilot tested for face and content validity. All dentist members of the Academy for Sports Dentistry were invited to participate (n = 491), and 150 responded, yielding a 31% response rate. The survey format allowed respondents to skip questions, and some respondents chose not to answer some questions. Quantitative data collected included level of athletes, league affiliation, scope of services provided, and types of oral screening performed. Dentists' attitudes regarding athletes' treatment and preventive needs, practice behaviors, and self-identified needs were assessed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results revealed that 116 of 146 respondents (80%) had a league affiliation. Among 112 dentists who reported providing services to athletes, the most frequently provided services were emergency treatment (96%), mouthguards (96%), restorative treatment (79%), oral hygiene instruction (63%), prophylaxis (61%), periodontal charting (61%), and dental charting (60%). Most team dentists (80%; n = 90/112) performed oral screenings for the athletes. Among 87 respondents who performed screenings and reported the type of screening they provided, 36 (41%) screened all athletes prior to the season and then provided individualized

Health of dentists in United Arab Emirates.

PubMed

Hashim, Raghad; Al-Ali, Khalid

2013-02-01

The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence and nature of some health and lifestyle problems among dentists in United Arab Emirates (UAE). A cross-sectional study with a one-stage complex sampling technique using a self-reported questionnaire distributed to all 844 dentists, working in three cities (Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah) in UAE. Seven hundred and thirty-three (87%) dentists, aged 22-70 years, responded. More than half (n = 442, 61%) of dentists do not exercise regularly. Around one-seventh of the dentists are smokers. One hundred and eighteen dentists (16%) reported having some known systemic problem. The most common systemic health problems were cardiovascular diseases (n = 56, 8%). The present study indicates that the prevalence of exercise among dentists in UAE is relatively low and some systemic health problems, especially cardiovascular diseases, are present among dentists practicing in UAE. Cigarette consumption is relatively high in this population of dentist. Further continuing education and investigation of the appropriate intervention to improve rates of exercise and reduce the level of smoking among dentists in UAE is needed, and this may help reduce the level of systemic disease. © 2013 FDI World Dental Federation.

Intrinsic rewards experienced by a group of dentists working with underserved populations.

PubMed

Gardner, S P; Roberts-Thomson, K F; Winning, T A; Peterson, R

2014-09-01

The aim of this study was to explore, using qualitative methods, the intrinsic reasons why dentists work with underserved groups. Minority and marginalized groups of Australians suffer a greater burden of dental disease than the general population due to disparities in accessing care. Recruitment and retention of dentists to care for underserved groups is problematic due to personal, professional and structural reasons. What drives dentists to work with underserved groups is not widely known. Sixteen dentists were recruited using 'snowball' purposeful sampling. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis was conducted on the transcriptions to identify themes. Five key themes emerged: (1) 'tapped on the shoulder', being personally approached or invited; (2) 'dental school experience', the challenges faced as a student; (3) 'empathic concern', the non-judgemental expressions of care toward others; (4) 'resilience', the ability to bounce back after setbacks; (5) 'intrinsic reward', the personal gain and satisfaction received. This study focuses on the intrinsic rewards which were found to be simple, unexpected, and associated with relieving pain, community engagement and making a difference. Emphasizing personal fulfilment and intrinsic reward could be useful when promoting dentistry as a career and when encouraging graduates to consider working with disadvantaged groups. © 2014 Australian Dental Association.

Selegiline shortage: Causes and costs of a generic drug shortage.

PubMed

Dorsey, E R; Thompson, J P; Dayoub, E J; George, B; Saubermann, L A; Holloway, R G

2009-07-21

In September 2007, shortages of generic selegiline occurred, forcing patients to either switch to more expensive alternatives or forego treatment. We sought to evaluate prescription trends of generic selegiline and to quantify the economic impact of any resulting drug substitution of more expensive alternatives. We analyzed proprietary data from IMS Health on monthly prescriptions in the United States for selegiline and potential substitutes from February 2002 through December 2007. Linear regression was used to predict the number of expected prescriptions after August 2007 had a shortage not occurred. The main outcome measures were the changes in prescriptions filled and the economic impact of drug substitution. Prior to the shortage, total prescriptions filled for generic selegiline decreased 42%, and supply consolidated into one company, Apotex Inc., Toronto, Canada, whose market share increased from 41% to 83%. During the first 4 months of the shortage, Apotex Inc. filled 10,500 fewer prescriptions than projected and other selegiline manufacturers filled 7,400 more than projected for a net shortage of 3,100 prescriptions. The number of branded selegiline capsules filled during this period increased by 1,800 above projections, and 1,300 prescriptions for generic selegiline were not refilled or substituted. The societal cost of substituting generic selegiline with branded capsules was $75,000 over the first 4 months of the shortage. Generic drug shortages carry economic and health implications. Given ongoing consolidation in the generics drug industry, these shortages may become more common and may require heightened regulatory scrutiny of the generic drug industry.

The nursing shortage continues as faculty shortage grows.

PubMed

Allen, Linda

2008-01-01

To combat the nursing shortage, efforts to promote nursing as a career have been successful. However, academic nursing institutions are not adequately prepared for this new influx of applicants. The lack of faculty to educate the growing demand for baccalaureate-prepared RNs directly impacts the nursing shortage. The nursing shortage thus directly impacts safe patient care. The main reasons for the lack of faculty to meet the demand for more nurses include the increased age of the current faculty and the declining number of years left to teach, expected increases in faculty retirements, less compensation for academic teaching than positions in clinical areas for master's-prepared nurses, and finally, not enough master's and doctoral-prepared nurses to fill the needed nurse educator positions It is in the best interest of the nursing profession to do what it does best by incorporating the nursing process to solve the faculty shortage and secure its future in order to protect the lives of patients.

Projected future distribution of dentists in Japan.

PubMed

Ishimaru, Miho; Ono, Sachiko; Yasunaga, Hideo; Matsui, Hiroki; Koike, Soichi

2016-06-01

Appropriate health policies for the supply of dentists have been an ongoing issue in many developed countries. The purpose of this study was to estimate the future distribution of dentists with different working statuses in Japan and to discuss policy implications about the supply of dentists in any country. This was a retrospective cohort study using data from the National Survey of Physicians, Dentists and Pharmacists for 1972-2012. Based on data from the 2010 and 2012 surveys, we calculated by means of a Markov model the future number of dentists with different working statuses until 2042 according to sex. We estimated that the total number of active dentists will decrease from 2012 to 2042. The number of active dentists per 1,000 population was predicted to reach a peak in 2018, decrease by 4.2% from 2012 to 2038, and thereafter slightly increase. With regard to working status, the number of dentists with their own practices per 1,000 people was predicted to have reached a peak in 2014 and decrease by 22.0% until 2042. We estimated that the number of dentists used in dental clinics per 1,000 population will increase continuously between 2012 and 2042 by 20.0%. Our study suggests that maintaining this supply of dentists may lead to maldistribution of their working status in the future. © 2016 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Estimating Demand for and Supply of Pediatric Preventive Dental Care for Children and Identifying Dental Care Shortage Areas, Georgia, 2015.

PubMed

Cao, Shanshan; Gentili, Monica; Griffin, Paul M; Griffin, Susan O; Harati, Pravara; Johnson, Ben; Serban, Nicoleta; Tomar, Scott

Demand for dental care is expected to outpace supply through 2025. The objectives of this study were to determine the extent of pediatric dental care shortages in Georgia and to develop a general method for estimation that can be applied to other states. We estimated supply and demand for pediatric preventive dental care for the 159 counties in Georgia in 2015. We compared pediatric preventive dental care shortage areas (where demand exceeded twice the supply) designated by our methods with dental health professional shortage areas designated by the Health Resources & Services Administration. We estimated caries risk from a multivariate analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data and national census data. We estimated county-level demand based on the time needed to perform preventive dental care services and the proportion of time that dentists spend on pediatric preventive dental care services from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Pediatric preventive dental care supply exceeded demand in Georgia in 75 counties: the average annual county-level pediatric preventive dental care demand was 16 866 hours, and the supply was 32 969 hours. We identified 41 counties as pediatric dental care shortage areas, 14 of which had not been designated by the Health Resources & Services Administration. Age- and service-specific information on dental care shortage areas could result in more efficient provider staffing and geographic targeting.

Influence of the Smile Line on Smile Attractiveness in Short and Long Face Individuals.

PubMed

Al Taki, Amjad; Hayder Mohammed, Thar; Mohammad Hamdan, Ahmad

2017-01-01

The study assessed the impact of facial height on attractiveness of smile, in association with the maxillary gingival display. This research was performed by dental professionals and laypersons. Frontal extraoral photographs were captured for both short and long faces. The photographs were modified using software for image-processing and three rater groups (orthodontists, dentists, and laypersons) evaluated the smile attractiveness, with 30 subjects in each group. Differences in ratings of the different smiles among the different experimental groups were examined using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The Mann-Whitney U test was performed for pairwise comparisons between the experimental groups. Dentists and laypeople were most likely to agree. For the short face, laypeople and dentists both rated the +2 mm gingival display smile as the most attractive smile whilst orthodontists ranked the 0 mm gingival display smile as the most attractive smile. For the long face, laypeople and dentists ranked the 0 mm gingival display smile as the most attractive smile, whilst orthodontists ranked the +2 mm gingival display as the most attractive. Smile line of both short and long face subjects was found to influence the smile attractiveness rating by the three rater groups.

Professional Satisfaction among California General Dentists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shugars, Daniel A.; And Others

1990-01-01

This study assessed professional satisfaction among 558 California general dentists using the Dentist Satisfaction Survey. Among findings were that dentists were most dissatisfied with the threat of malpractice, level of income, demands of managing the practice, and amount of personal time. Findings have implications for counseling predoctoral…

Root canals and retailing. When it comes to merchandising activities in a dental office, dentists are their own worst critics.

PubMed

Grove, S J; Pickett, G M; Finn, D W

1994-01-01

As professional service providers continue to face an increasingly competitive environment, marketing becomes a more attractive prospect. One marketing activity that has emerged in recent years is the retailing of products related to one's profession directly from the office. The authors explore the retailing phenomenon from the perspective of dentists and dental patients and find that patients are less critical of the practice than dentists are themselves.

Connecting With Your Dentist on Facebook: Patients' and Dentists' Attitudes Towards Social Media Usage in Dentistry.

PubMed

Parmar, Nilesh; Dong, Lin; Eisingerich, Andreas Benedikt

2018-06-29

Social media has begun to proliferate across medical areas and transformed how medical professionals serve and interact with their patients. It offers a new communication avenue that has the potential to engage patients and, hence, may be used to create value for both medical professionals and patients. In dentistry, even though patients and dentists frequently use social media in their personal lives, little is known about their attitudes and expectations toward using social media for professional interactions. In this paper, we focus on the role of social media in dentistry. Specifically, we explore patients' and dentists' attitudes toward social media usage and their current online behaviors in this context. Furthermore, we examine potential challenges and opportunities regarding dentists' adoption of social media practices. This research employed a large-scale online survey of 588 patients and 532 dental professionals. We assessed the attitudes, expectations, and social media behaviors from both patients' and dentists' perspectives. We found that more than 55% (290/532) of dentists in our sample have accounts for their dental practice on various social media platforms. Interestingly, while 73% (374/511) of patients did not expect their dental practice to have a social media presence, and 44% (207/468) thought that establishing a friendship with their dentists is not appropriate, the findings show that 36% (164/460) of patients had searched for their dentists, and 44% (207/470) of them were happy to establish contacts with dentists on social media. Furthermore, the findings highlight that patients were interested in exploring additional information such as online reviews and the qualifications of their dentists on Facebook pages. For dentists, more than half (375/432, 83%) of them in our sample thought that social media marketing is more efficient compared to traditional marketing. Our findings revealed some key challenges and opportunities to utilize social

Impact of Drug Shortages on Health System Pharmacies in the Southeastern United States

PubMed Central

Mehta, Brenna; Bookstaver, P. Brandon; Sims, LaVetra D.; Stevenson, Bill

2015-01-01

Background: Drug shortages have become all too common and affect all aspects of the health care delivery system. The increased number of drug shortages has had a negative impact on patient care as well as costly financial implications. Objectives: This article identifies the current problems and negative outcomes drug shortages have caused and provides a framework for how to best prepare for and combat future shortages. It highlights specific problems faced by health care system pharmacies in the Southeastern United States and the managerial responses to address these shortage situations. Methods: A 34-question, multiple-choice survey was distributed to pharmacy directors in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Results: Of 549 surveys distributed, 219 (40%) responses were received. Respondents reported that drug shortages cause 1% to 5% error rates in hospitals and that 60% of the time drug shortages create unsafe conditions for patients and staff. Many of the respondents reported a 300% to 500% markup on medications on the shortage list. Seventy-six percent of institutions have autosubstitutions for drug shortages that have been preapproved by Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committees. Conclusions: The causes of drug shortages are multifaceted, and the safety and financial implications can be costly. In the short term, health care institutions can utilize pharmacists to assist in circumventing the drug shortage problem. The combined efforts of all health care professionals, the US government, manufacturers, and the lay public are necessary to bring awareness and plausible solutions to the drug shortage problems in the long term. PMID:26448658

The dentist's operating posture - ergonomic aspects.

PubMed

Pîrvu, C; Pătraşcu, I; Pîrvu, D; Ionescu, C

2014-06-15

The practice of dentistry involves laborious high finesse dental preparations, precision and control in executions that require a particular attention, concentration and patience of the dentist and finally the dentist's physical and mental resistance. The optimal therapeutic approach and the success of practice involve special working conditions for the dentist and his team in an ergonomic environment. The meaning of the posture in ergonomics is the manner in which different parts of the body are located and thus the reports are established between them in order to allow a special task execution. This article discusses the posture adopted by dentists when they work, beginning with the balanced posture and going to different variants of posture. The ideal posture of a dentist gives him, on the one hand the optimal working conditions (access, visibility and control in the mouth) and on the other hand, physical and psychological comfort throughout the execution of the clinical acts. Although the theme of dentist posture is treated with great care and often presented in the undergraduate courses and the continuing education courses on ergonomics in dentistry, many dentists do not know the subject well enough nor the theoretical issues and therefore nor the practical applicability. The risk and perspective of the musculoskeletal disorders related to unbalanced postures should determine the dentists take postural corrective actions and compensation measures in order to limit the negative effects of working in a bad posture.

The Black Dentist Workforce in the United States

PubMed Central

Mertz, Elizabeth; Calvo, Jean; Wides, Cynthia; Gates, Paul

2017-01-01

Objectives The purpose of this paper is to describe the Black dentist workforce, the practice patterns of providers, and their contributions to oral health care for minority and underserved patients. Methods A national sample survey of underrepresented minority dentists was conducted in 2012 and received a 32.6% response rate for self-reported Black dentists. Data were weighted for selection and response bias to be nationally representative. Descriptive and multivariable statistics were computed to provide a workforce profile of Black dentists. National comparisons are provided from published data. Results Among all Black dentists (weighted n=6,254), 76.6% self-identify as African-American, 13.2% as African, and 10.3% as Afro-Caribbean. The largest share of Black dentists are male, married, heterosexual, born in the U.S. and raised in a medium to large city. One third of Black dentists were the first in their family to graduate from college. Black dentists report higher average educational debt than all dental students, graduates from International Dentist Programs having the greatest debt. Traditional practices (i.e., private practices) dominate, with 67.1% of Black dentists starting out in this setting and 73.5% currently in the setting. Black dentists care for a disproportionate share of Black patients, with an average patient mix that is 44.9% Black. Two in five Black dentists reported their patient pool is made up of more than 50% Black patients. Conclusions The underrepresentation for Black dentists is extraordinary, and the Black dentists that are in practice are shouldering a disproportionate share of dental care for minority and underserved communities. PMID:27966789

The Black dentist workforce in the United States.

PubMed

Mertz, Elizabeth; Calvo, Jean; Wides, Cynthia; Gates, Paul

2017-03-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe the Black dentist workforce, the practice patterns of providers, and their contributions to oral health care for minority and underserved patients. A national sample survey of underrepresented minority dentists was conducted in 2012 and received a 32.6 percent response rate for self-reported Black dentists. Data were weighted for selection and response bias to be nationally representative. Descriptive and multivariable statistics were computed to provide a workforce profile of Black dentists. National comparisons are provided from published data. Among all Black dentists (weighted n = 6,254), 76.6 percent self-identify as African-American, 13.2 percent as African, and 10.3 percent as Afro-Caribbean. The largest share of Black dentists are male, married, heterosexual, born in the United States and raised in a medium to large city. One third of Black dentists were the first in their family to graduate from college. Black dentists report higher average educational debt than all dental students, with graduates from International Dentist Programs having the greatest debt. Traditional practices (i.e., private practices) dominate, with 67.1 percent of Black dentists starting out in this setting and 73.5 percent currently in the setting. Black dentists care for a disproportionate share of Black patients, with an average patient mix that is 44.9 percent Black. Two in five Black dentists reported their patient pool is made up of more than 50 percent Black patients. The underrepresentation for Black dentists is extraordinary, and the Black dentists that are in practice are shouldering a disproportionate share of dental care for minority and underserved communities. © 2016 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Solving the Teacher Shortage: Revisiting the Lessons We've Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berry, Barnett; Shields, Patrick M.

2017-01-01

Two decades ago, at a time when much of the country faced looming teacher shortages, a number of states invested in comprehensive strategies for strengthening the teaching profession. For example, and drawing upon recommendations from the National Commission on Teaching & America's Future, both California and North Carolina built statewide…

Characteristics and practice profiles of migrant dentist groups in Australia: implications for dental workforce policy and planning.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, Madhan; Spencer, A John; Short, Stephanie D; Watkins, Keith; Chrisopoulos, Sergio; Brennan, David S

2015-06-01

Migrants comprise a growing proportion of the dental workforce in Australia. To date, research on migrant dentists is limited, raising policy questions regarding the motivations for migration, demographic profiles and work patterns. The purpose of this paper was to present findings from the first national survey of migrant dentists in Australia. All dentists with a primary dental qualification from an overseas institution and registered with the Australian Dental Association (n=1,872) or enrolled as a graduate student in any of the nine dental schools in Australia (n=105) were surveyed between January and May 2013. A total of 1,022 participants (response rate=54.5%) were classifiable into three migrant dentist groups: direct recognition (n=491); Australian Dental Council (ADC) (n=411); and alternative pathway (n=120). Overall, 41.8% of migrant dentists were female. More than half of the ADC group (54.1%) were from lower middle income countries. The most frequent motivation for migration according to the direct recognition group (21.1%) was 'adventure', whereas other groups migrated for 'better opportunity'. The majority of ADC respondents (65%) were under 45 years of age, and a larger proportion worked in the most disadvantaged areas (12.4%), compared with other groups. Gender, marital status, years since arrival in Australia and having children varied between the groups (chi square; P<0.05). Dentist groups migrate to Australia for different reasons. The large proportion of the migrant dentist workforce sourced from lower middle income countries points towards deficiencies in oral health systems both for these countries and for Australia. The feminisation of the migrant dentist profile could in future affect dentist-practice activity patterns in Australia. Further research, especially on the settlement experiences of these dentists, can provide better insights into issues faced by these dentists, the nature of support that migrant dentists receive in Australia, the

Are Manitoba dentists aware of the recommendation for a first visit to the dentist by age 1 year?

PubMed

Stijacic, Tijana; Schroth, Robert J; Lawrence, Herenia P

2008-12-01

The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommend that children visit the dentist by 12 months of age. To report on how Manitoba"s general dental practitioners and pediatric dentists manage oral health in early childhood. Mailed surveys that used the modified survey methods of Dillman were sent to 390 Manitoban general dental practitioners and pediatric dentists. The sampling frame was the Manitoba Dental Association"s Membership Registry, but only those dentists who consented to the release of their mailing information were contacted. Survey data were analyzed with Number Cruncher Statistical Software (NCSS 2007). Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses and multiple regression analyses were done. A p value of < or = 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 292 (74.9%) of the 390 practitioners responded, of whom 85.1% met the eligibility criteria and 84.6% were graduates of the faculty of dentistry, University of Manitoba. Overall, infants and preschoolers constituted < 10% of patients in the respondents" practices. Slightly more than half (58.3%, 144/247) of participants were aware of professional organizations" recommendation about the timing of children"s first visit to the dentist; 52.2% (130/249) were unaware of the existence of a standardized case definition for ECC; and 32.3% (80/248) knew that ECC was defined as the presence of at least 1 primary tooth affected by caries in children < 6 years of age. On average, these participating dentists from Manitoba thought children should visit the dentist by 2 years of age. Although early visits to the dentist are now endorsed by CDA and AAPD, a significant number of dentists in Manitoba are still unaware of the recommendation that children should first visit the dentist by 12 months of age.

[Dentists' Knowledge of Ethical Questions Regarding Dental Medicine - A Survey of Dentists from Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia (Germany)].

PubMed

Schochow, M; Christel, A; Lautenschläger, C; Steger, F

2016-12-01

Background: Subjects regarding ethical questions in dental medicine are only slightly touched in the study of dental medicine or in the working regulations of the dentists' association. However, dentists are confronted with these matters in everyday working life. The empirical study at hand collects current data regarding the ethical knowledge about dental medicine in the practical experience of dentists in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. Methods: The tool used in the survey was a structured questionnaire. Out of 600 randomly chosen and contacted dentists from Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia, 290 replied (response rate: 48.3%). The anonymised assessment took place between June and November 2013. Results: Dentists frequently encounter ethical questions regarding dental matters. The dentists interviewed in the study are in favour of a participative relationship between patient and dentist. Simultaneously, the patient's health is predominantly seen as the good of higher value than his or her self-determination. The dentists show competent knowledge of ethical dental subjects, although increased uncertainties could be observed in more complex situations, e. g. considering contact with patients who are HIV-positive. Conclusions: Questions dealing with dental ethical questions do play a major role in the daily professional life of dentists. In order to further support and strengthen dentists in their individual dental ethical competence, we see a need for advanced training and further education regarding questions and problems in the area of ethics in dental medicine. Also, these topics should become a component in the curriculum of the study of dental medicine. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Career anchors of dentist leaders.

PubMed

Tuononen, Tiina; Lammintakanen, Johanna; Suominen, Anna Liisa

2016-08-01

The work of a health care leader is demanding; in order to cope, leaders need motivation and support. The occurrence of intrinsic factors called career anchors (combination of one's competence, motives and values) could be a contributing factor in dentist leaders' career decisions. The aim of our study was to identify dentist leaders' career anchors and their association to dentist leaders' retention or turnover of the leadership position. Materials were gathered in 2014 via an electronic questionnaire from 156 current (Leaders) or former (Leavers) Finnish dentist leaders. Career anchor evaluation was conducted by the questionnaire and scoring-table taken from Edgar Schein's Career Anchors Self-Assessment. Both the most and the least important career anchors were detected by the highest and lowest scores and their occurrence reported as percentages. Associations between career anchor scores and tendency to stay were analyzed with logistic regression. 'Technical/Functional Competence' and 'Lifestyle' were most frequently reported as the most important and 'Entrepreneurial Creativity' and 'General Managerial Competence' as the least important career anchors. However, a higher level of 'General Managerial Competence' anchor was most significantly associated with staying in a leadership position. Instead, 'Pure Challenge' and 'Lifestyle' decreased the odds to stay. The knowledge of the important and essential career anchors of dentist leaders' and individuals' could perform crucial part in career choices and also in planning education, work opportunities and human resource policies promoting retention of dentist leaders and probably also other health care leaders.

Influence of the Smile Line on Smile Attractiveness in Short and Long Face Individuals

PubMed Central

Hayder Mohammed, Thar; Mohammad Hamdan, Ahmad

2017-01-01

Objectives The study assessed the impact of facial height on attractiveness of smile, in association with the maxillary gingival display. This research was performed by dental professionals and laypersons. Materials and Methods Frontal extraoral photographs were captured for both short and long faces. The photographs were modified using software for image-processing and three rater groups (orthodontists, dentists, and laypersons) evaluated the smile attractiveness, with 30 subjects in each group. Differences in ratings of the different smiles among the different experimental groups were examined using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The Mann–Whitney U test was performed for pairwise comparisons between the experimental groups. Results Dentists and laypeople were most likely to agree. For the short face, laypeople and dentists both rated the +2 mm gingival display smile as the most attractive smile whilst orthodontists ranked the 0 mm gingival display smile as the most attractive smile. For the long face, laypeople and dentists ranked the 0 mm gingival display smile as the most attractive smile, whilst orthodontists ranked the +2 mm gingival display as the most attractive. Conclusion Smile line of both short and long face subjects was found to influence the smile attractiveness rating by the three rater groups. PMID:28928770

[Reasons for General Practitioner Shortage – a Comparison Between France and Switzerland].

PubMed

Cerny, Thomas; Rosemann, Thomas; Tandjung, Ryan; Chmiel, Corinne

2016-05-25

Both France and Switzerland face a general practitioner (GP) shortage. What differences or parallels exist between the two countries with regard to the causes for this shortage? What conclusions might be drawn from a systematic comparison? Literature review with qualitative and semi-quantitative content analysis. Parallels exist in the comparing categories work contents, working structure, income and social status, medical school formation, private life, psychological motives. Differences are found in the categories biography and social selection, medical socialisation, residency. In Switzerland, residency is not uniformly structured, rarely institutionally organised and contains only few elements specific to general medicine. In France, medical socialisation not only exalts the specialists, but also strongly devaluates the GPs. By systematic analysis and comparison of both countries' pertinent literature, France and Switzerland can deepen their understanding of GP shortage. This paper identifies possible fields of action from medical school through residency up to workplace conditions that are pivotal in addressing the shortage of GPs.

A Shortage of Medical Residency Positions: Parallels with Psychology.

PubMed

LaPaglia, Donna; Robiner, William N; Yozwiak, John A; Brosig, Cheryl; Cubic, Barbara; Leventhal, Gerald

2015-12-01

Physician shortages in the US are expected to intensify with the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. These shortages may negatively impact access to care, quality of care, and confidence in the system's ability to adequately provide for health needs in the US. Concerns regarding physician demand underscore how critical Graduate Medical Education funding is to preparing the physician workforce. In 2014 5.6 % of US medical school seniors did not match into residency. Psychology has faced longstanding training imbalance issues with a misalignment between the number of internship positions and the number of applicants. The authors summon attention to the damaging effects a training imbalance poses to a health care profession, its trainees, and ultimately the public it serves.

A call to action for nurses: declining enrollment and the nursing shortage.

PubMed

Albaugh, J A

2001-10-01

Once again, nursing and health care face a crisis related to the continued decline in nursing school enrollment and the nursing shortage. This particular shortage seems to be especially problematic because of the increased number of aging baby boomers and the dwindling professional nurse pool. Nurses must work together to increase understanding and awareness of the opportunities in the profession and to resolve this crisis. There are specific actions nurses can take to improve the perception of nursing and renew interest in a dynamic field that is so crucial to society.

Regional density of private dentists: empirical evidence from Austria.

PubMed

Gächter, Martin; Schwazer, Peter; Theurl, Engelbert; Winner, Hannes

2014-02-01

We investigated the determinants of disparities in the regional density of private dentists in Austria. Specifically, we focused on the relationship between the density of private dentists and their public counterparts, thereby controlling for other possible covariates of dentist density. Dentist density was measured at the district level. We used panel data of dentist density from 121 Austrian districts over the years 2001-2008. We applied a Hausman-Taylor framework to cope with possible endogeneity and to control for cross-district effects in the dentist density. A significant negative relationship was found between the density of private and public dentists, indicating a substitution effect between the two dentist groups. A significant positive spatial relationship also existed for private and public dentists in the neighboring regions. Dental capacities in public and private hospitals and dental laboratories run by the public health insurance system did not have a significant effect on private dentist density. Although a strong negative relationship existed between private and public dentists within the districts, one should not draw the conclusion that private dentists in Austria are close substitutes for public dentists. Such a conclusion would require further empirical analysis on the utilization patterns of dental services and their relationships with financing mechanisms. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Occupational Health Problems among Dentists in Croatia

PubMed Central

Vodanović, Marin; Sović, Slavica; Galić, Ivan

2016-01-01

Aim To assess the health status among dentists in Croatia regarding the symptoms of musculoskeletal, dermatological, sight, hearing and neurological disorders. Methods The anonymous online survey was conducted among 506 Croatian dentists. Results It was found that over 78.18% of the surveyed dentists experienced work related pain in upper back, 76.97% of them in lower back. Work-related skin problems were reported by 29.29% of dentists. Vision problems were reported by 46.87% and hearing problems by 19.03% of participants. Neurological disorders were reported by 15.76% of dentists. Conclusion This study is the first to report on the overall health status of Croatian dentists and, unfortunately, it showed undesirable results. Numerous health hazards, increased professional requirements and limited ergonomics in the work environment of Croatian dental practitioners cause various health disorders, and the prevalence of occupational diseases is very high. PMID:28275278

General dentist characteristics associated with rural practice location.

PubMed

McKernan, Susan C; Kuthy, Raymond A; Kavand, Golnaz

2013-08-01

To examine whether there is a difference in the likelihood that a general dentist practices in a rural location based on individual characteristics, including dental school attended, birth state, practice arrangement, sex, and age. All private practice, general dentists in Iowa were included in this study. Data were extracted from the year 2010 version of the Iowa Dentist Tracking System, which monitors practice patterns of active dentists. Rurality of primary office location, categorized using Rural-Urban Commuting Area codes, served as the outcome variable. Chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression were used to explain associations between rural practice location and dentist characteristics. Fifteen percent of the state's population resided in isolated small rural towns, but only 8% of general dentists practiced here. Approximately 17% of dentists in isolated small rural towns were age 40 or younger, compared to 32% of dentists in urban areas. Among male dentists, those who were born in Iowa (P = .002) were older (P = .020), and graduated from dental schools other than the University of Iowa (P = .009) were more likely to practice in rural areas than were their counterparts. Conversely, among female dentists, solo practice (P = .016) was the only variable significantly associated with rural practice location. The dentist workforce in rural areas of Iowa is dominated by older males who were born in Iowa. As this generation retires and increasing numbers of women enter the profession, state policy makers and planners will need to monitor changing trends in the rural workforce. © 2013 National Rural Health Association.

Communication practices and preferences between orthodontists and general dentists.

PubMed

Bibona, Kevin; Shroff, Bhavna; Best, Al M; Lindauer, Steven J

2015-11-01

To evaluate similarities and differences in orthodontists' and general dentists' perceptions regarding their interdisciplinary communication. Orthodontists (N  =  137) and general dentists (N  =  144) throughout the United States responded to an invitation to participate in a Web-based and mailed survey, respectively. The results indicated that orthodontists communicated with general dentists using the type of media general dentists preferred to use. As treatment complexity increased, orthodontists shifted from one-way forms of communication (letters) to two-way forms of communication (phone calls; P < .05). Both orthodontists and general dentists reported that orthodontists' communication regarding white spot lesions was inadequate. When treating patients with missing or malformed teeth, orthodontists reported that they sought input from the general dentists at a higher rate than the general dentists reported (P < .005). Orthodontists' and general dentists' perceptions of how often specific types of media were used for interdisciplinary communication were generally similar. They differed, however, with regard to how adequately orthodontists communicated with general dentists and how often orthodontists sought input from general dentists. The methods and extent of communication between orthodontists and general dentists need to be determined on a patient-by-patient basis.

[Suggestions to improve dentist-endodontist collaboration].

PubMed

Zabalegui, B; Zabalegui, I; Flores, L

1989-01-01

Referrals from the general dentist to the endodontist are in some occasions complicated with lack of proper communication among dentist-patient-specialist, resulting in the loss of confidence or even the patient. Suggestions to improve this communication are discussed, which will provide the patient a higher confidence in the indicated endodontic treatment and a better dental service. It will also enhance the prestige of the general dentists' and specialists' practice.

The practice of marketing by dentists.

PubMed

Chandler, E W; Weller, R B

1994-01-01

The attitudes and practices of dentists regarding the implementation of all the strategic variables in the marketing mix is examined. Factor analysis is used to reduce the data to five factors which are used to describe the attitudes and practices of dentists. The importance of using other marketing variables besides promotion is pointed out along with the implications for influencing dentists to take a broader strategic perspective in the development of their practice.

Children's Preferences for Pediatric Dentist Attire: A Multicenter Study.

PubMed

Ram, Diana; Hermida, Maria Laura; Jerozolimsky, Andrea Braun; Slav, Or-Yan; Wang, Hao-Yu; Abbate, Florencia Puig; Rodriguez, Ana Lorente; Cuadros-Fernández, Cristina; Leon, Roberto Vofovics; Davidovich, Esti

2018-01-01

Data are conflicting regarding the effect of professional staff attire on children at pediatric dental clinics. To compare the preferences of children and their parents in three countries, regarding the gender and attire of pediatric dentists. A multi-centered study was conducted in pediatric dental clinics in Israel (N=100), Uruguay (N=270) and Spain (N=200). Children, aged 4-12 years, and their parents were asked to choose the pediatric dentist they preferred from 5 pictures of the same male and 5 pictures of the same female, in different attire. In Israeli clinics, where half of the pediatric dentists were male, and they wore white coats or casual attire, these were preferred by children, with no preference regarding the dentist's gender. In Spain, where the majority of dentists were females, wearing surgical scrubs, children preferred female dentists with this attire. In Uruguay, where female dentists wore surgical or pediatric scrubs, these were preferred by children. Parents more often selected female than male dentists; they preferred pediatric scrubs for their children's dentists more often than their children preferred such attire. Children's preferences for the attire of pediatric dentists reflected the common wearing apparel for dentists at the clinics they attended.

Dentists' perspectives on caries-related treatment decisions.

PubMed

Gomez, J; Ellwood, R P; Martignon, S; Pretty, I A

2014-06-01

To assess the impact of patient risk status on Colombian dentists' caries related treatment decisions for early to intermediate caries lesions (ICDAS code 2 to 4). A web-based questionnaire assessed dentists' views on the management of early/intermediate lesions. The questionnaire included questions on demographic characteristics, five clinical scenarios with randomised levels of caries risk, and two questions on different clinical and radiographic sets of images with different thresholds of caries. Questionnaires were completed by 439 dentists. For the two scenarios describing occlusal lesions ICDAS code 2, dentists chose to provide a preventive option in 63% and 60% of the cases. For the approximal lesion ICDAS code 2, 81% of the dentists chose to restore. The main findings of the binary logistic regression analysis for the clinical scenarios suggest that for the ICDAS code 2 occlusal lesions, the odds of a high caries risk patient having restorations is higher than for a low caries risk patient. For the questions describing different clinical thresholds of caries, most dentists would restore at ICDAS code 2 (55%) and for the question showing different radiographic thresholds images, 65% of dentists would intervene operatively at the inner half of enamel. No significant differences with respect to risk were found for these questions with the logistic regression. The results of this study indicate that Colombian dentists have not yet fully adopted non-invasive treatment for early caries lesions.

Texas dentists' attitudes toward the Dental Medicaid program.

PubMed

Blackwelder, Aaron; Shulman, Jay D

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to report the attitudes of Texas dentists toward the Dental Medicaid program. A self-administered survey was mailed to all pediatric dentists and a random sample of general dentists. Surveys from 347 (69%) of 500 dentists (171 of 295 general dentists [58%] and 169 of 205 pediatric dentists [82%]) were returned. 57% of pediatric dentists and 29% of general dentists (P<.0001) treated at least 1 Medicaid patient in the past year. The major areas of dissatisfaction were: (1) broken appointments; (2) low reimbursement levels; and (3) patient noncompliance. This mirrors results from studies in Iowa, Louisiana, Ohio, Washington, and California. Both pediatric and general practitioners identified the following barriers to core for the Medicaid population: (1) low dental IQ; (2) few providers; and (3) no transportation. The major areas of dissatisfaction included both programmatic and patient-related factors. Attributes of the system (eg, lower reimbursement levels) are more modifiable than attributes of the patient population (eg, patient noncompliance and low dental IQ). Underfunding of dental Medicaid is endemic to all states studied in the literature. Providers, legislators, and government programs should target the programmatic problems with future efforts and funding.

Counseling on Early Childhood Caries transmission by dentists.

PubMed

Milgrom, Peter; Huebner, Colleen E; Mancl, Lloyd; Garson, Gayle; Grembowski, David

2013-01-01

High levels of Streptococcus mutans on teeth of young children are predictive of Early Childhood Caries (ECC). Transmission from mother-to-child is common and studies have demonstrated treatment of the mother results in less ECC. The objective of this study was to determine how dentists have adopted the practice of counseling about ECC. In 2006 as part of a larger study on dental care for pregnant women, we surveyed 829 general dentists in Oregon. The questionnaire contained questions to capture the extent to which general dentists have adopted counseling pregnant women about ECC transmission, to describe personal and practice characteristics, and examine how dentists' views on the ease of adopting of new procedures related to ECC counseling. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify separate and additive effects of demographic and practice characteristics, attitudes, and beliefs. The adjusted odds of a dentist who strongly believed in the link between mothers and babies and provided ECC counseling were 1.60 (95% CI 1.3-2.0, P<0.01). The odds of a dentist who reported discussing ECC with staff members and provided counseling were 2.7 (95% CI 1.7-4.3, P<0.01). Male dentists were less likely to counsel patients than female dentists (Adjusted OR=0.5, 95% CI 0.3-1.0, p<0.05). The strongest predictors of counseling patients about ECC were dentists' belief in the evidence of caries transmission and dentists' discussion of ECC during staff meetings. © 2012 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Use of communication techniques by Maryland dentists.

PubMed

Maybury, Catherine; Horowitz, Alice M; Wang, Min Qi; Kleinman, Dushanka V

2013-12-01

Health care providers' use of recommended communication techniques can increase patients' adherence to prevention and treatment regimens and improve patient health outcomes. The authors conducted a survey of Maryland dentists to determine the number and type of communication techniques they use on a routine basis. The authors mailed a 30-item questionnaire to a random sample of 1,393 general practice dentists and all 169 members of the Maryland chapter of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. The overall response rate was 38.4 percent. Analysis included descriptive statistics, analysis of variance and ordinary least squares regression analysis to examine the association of dentists' characteristics with the number of communication techniques used. They set the significance level at P < .05. General dentists reported routinely using a mean of 7.9 of the 18 communication techniques and 3.6 of the seven basic techniques, whereas pediatric dentists reported using a mean of 8.4 and 3.8 of those techniques, respectively. General dentists who had taken a communication course outside of dental school were more likely than those who had not to use the 18 techniques (P < .01) but not the seven basic techniques (P < .05). Pediatric dentists who had taken a communication course outside of dental school were more likely than those who had not to use the 18 techniques (P < .05) and the seven basic techniques (P < .01). The number of communication techniques that dentists used routinely varied across the 18 techniques and was low for most techniques. Practical Implications. Professional education is needed both in dental school curricula and continuing education courses to increase use of recommended communication techniques. Specifically, dentists and their team members should consider taking communication skills courses and conducting an overall evaluation of their practices for user friendliness.

Dentists in Nepal: A Situation Analysis.

PubMed

Shrestha, Rabindra Man; Shrestha, Sujita Shrestha; Kunwar, Nischal

2017-09-08

Human resource data is essential for planning and implementation of health care delivery system. However, very few information is available on dental health human resource in the country. The aim of study was to assess the number of dentists in the country and to explore their distribution according to demographic and professional characteristics. A census was performed during July 2015 to July 2016 about the Nepali dentists. The study assessed demographic and professional characteristics of dentists including age, gender, ethnicity, education attainment, university, country/year of graduation, and work place using data collection sheet by trained data collectors. For those not accessible for direct contact, the information was obtained through secondary data. Data entry was done in CSPro software application and was analyzed in SPSS 20. The total number of registered Nepali dentists was 1803 with 419 specialists until June 2015. The male to female ratio was 1:1.46. Among all; 1318 (73%) were present in the country, 1047 (58%) were professionally active, and 1366 (76%) were below the age of 35 years. Among the professionals; 831 (79%) were employed in private sector and 601 (57%) worked in Kathmandu valley. The dentist-population ratio is decreasing exponentially in capital and major cities of Nepal however it remains very high in rural areas. Compared to other provinces,Province 6 and Province 7 lack service of dentists.

Drug shortages: Implications for medical toxicology.

PubMed

Mazer-Amirshahi, Maryann; Hawley, Kristy L; Zocchi, Mark; Fox, Erin; Pines, Jesse M; Nelson, Lewis S

2015-07-01

Drug shortages have significantly increased over the past decade. There are limited data describing how shortages impact medical toxicology of drugs. To characterize drug shortages affecting the management of poisoned patients. Drug shortage data from January 2001 to December 2013 were obtained from the University of Utah Drug Information Service. Shortage data for agents used to treat poisonings were analyzed. Information on drug type, formulation, reason for shortage, shortage duration, marketing, and whether the drug was available from a single source was collected. The availability of a substitute therapy and whether substitutes were in shortage during the study period were also investigated. Of 1,751 shortages, 141 (8.1%) impacted drugs used to treat poisoned patients, and as of December 2013, 21 (14.9%) remained unresolved. New toxicology shortages increased steadily from the mid-2000s, reaching a high of 26 in 2011. Median shortage duration was 164 days (interquartile range: 76-434). Generic drugs were involved in 85.1% of shortages and 41.1% were single-source products. Parenteral formulations were often involved in shortages (89.4%). The most common medications in shortage were sedative/hypnotics (15.6%). An alternative agent was available for 121 (85.8%) drugs; however, 88 (72.7%) alternatives were also affected by shortages at some point during the study period. When present, the most common reasons reported were manufacturing delays (22.0%) and supply/demand issues (17.0%). Shortage reason was not reported for 48.2% of drugs. Toxicology drug shortages are becoming increasingly prevalent, which can result in both suboptimal treatment and medication errors from using less familiar alternatives. Drug shortages affected a substantial number of critical agents used in the management of poisoned patients. Shortages were often of long duration and for drugs without alternatives. Providers caring for poisoned patients should be aware of current shortages and

Family and Career Patterns of Women Dentists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Habenicht, Donna J.; And Others

A study was conducted to describe the family patterns and attitudes toward dentistry of women dentists. The data for this study were collected through a questionnaire distributed to 226 women dentists selected from the 1979 membership list of the American Association of Women Dentists, with a return of 65 percent. Almost half of those surveyed had…

SWOT Analysis of Dental Health Workforce in India: A Dental alarm.

PubMed

Halappa, Mythri; B H, Naveen; Kumar, Santhosh; H, Sreenivasa

2014-11-01

India faces an acute shortage of health personnel. Together with inequalities in distribution of health workers, dental health workers also become a part contributing to it impeding the progress towards achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. To assess dental health-workforce distribution, identify inequalities in dental health-workers provision and report the impact of this mal distribution in India. Situational analysis done by using the primary data from the records of Dental Council of India. In India, 0.088% of dental health worker per 1000 population exists. Inequalities in the distribution of dentists exist in India. Certain states are experiencing an acute shortage of dental health personnel whereas certain cities are over fledged with dentists like Karnataka, Maharastra, Tamilnadu being states with high concentration & Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal being the least. Although the production of health workers has expanded greatly in recent years by increase in number of dental colleges the problems of imbalances in their distribution persist. In the race of increasing dentist population ratio in total, inequitable distribution of appropriately trained, motivated and supported dentists gives a mere feel of saturation in jobs making youngsters to not to choose dentistry as a career giving an alarm.

Dentists' skills with fearful patients: education and treatment.

PubMed

Brahm, Carl-Otto; Lundgren, Jesper; Carlsson, Sven G; Nilsson, Peter; Hultqvist, Johanna; Hägglin, Catharina

2013-06-01

The aims were to explore dentists' skills in dental fear, current strategies when treating fearful adult patients, and the possible need for additional education among dentists working in Sweden. A sample of 1,293 members of the Association of Public Health Dentists in Sweden were asked to respond to a Web survey concerning dental fear. The response rate was 69% (n = 889); 91% trained in Sweden and 9% trained in another country. The most frequently used pharmacological anxiety-reducing techniques were medication with a midazolame mixture (72%) and benzodiazepine tablets (77%), and the most commonly used psychological techniques were relaxation (68%), distraction (66%), and Tell-Show-Do (86%). A larger proportion of dentists trained in Sweden, compared with dentists who were trained in other countries, reported that they had received undergraduate training in dental fear. Dentists trained in Sweden more often reported competence in pharmacological and psychological anxiety-reducing techniques, compared with dentists who were trained in other countries. Higher levels of self-rated efficacy in treating fearful patients accompanied additional education in dental fear after graduation. In conclusion, Swedish dentists use a variety of techniques to meet the needs of fearful dental patients. Competence in anxiety-reducing techniques is associated with self-efficacy and the site of education. © 2013 Eur J Oral Sci.

Is the dentist an entrepreneur? Yes and no.

PubMed

Levin, Roger

2004-12-01

Although dentists may have an entrepreneurial spirit, they are not true entrepreneurs. Simply by selecting dentistry as a profession, dentists have engaged in a business that has a high level of success and limited growth potential. By limited growth potential, I do not mean to imply that practices cannot be successful and create excellent lifestyles for dentists. As stated above, they will be limited in growth by the physical capacity of the dentist, the team and the facilities. There is a great deal of security in dental practice if basic management principles are followed and business systems are put in place. In my next column, I will continue to explore the similarities and differences between entrepreneurs and dentists, and how a dentist can take a practice through the multiple stages necessary to achieve the highest levels of dental practice success.

Managing chronic orofacial pain: A qualitative study of patients', doctors', and dentists' experiences.

PubMed

Peters, Sarah; Goldthorpe, Joanna; McElroy, Cheryl; King, Elizabeth; Javidi, Hanieh; Tickle, Martin; Aggarwal, Vishal R

2015-11-01

Persistent pain in the face, mouth, and jaws is a common presentation to dental and medical services. The aetiology remains unclear, but a growing evidence base recognizes the effectiveness of psychological rather than biomedical interventions. To understand how this approach might be implemented into clinical practice, knowledge is needed of patients' and clinicians' experience of chronic orofacial pain (COFP). The aim of this study was to explore the experience and understanding of COFP by patients and primary and secondary care medical and dental practitioners. Qualitative interview study. Audio-recorded semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 12 dentists, 11 general practitioners, and seven patients were thematically analysed. Clinicians and patients recognized the role that psychological factors could play in the development and maintenance of COFP, yet management and self-management strategies were largely limited to biomedical interventions. Achieving a diagnosis proved problematic but largely functional for both parties. GPs and dentists viewed COFP as a non-dental problem and felt inadequately equipped to manage the condition. GPs, unlike dentists, felt obligated to support patients using techniques for managing patients with other long-term conditions. Frustration at the current inadequacy of COFP management often led to conflict with (or disengagement from) the clinician-patient relationship. Current management of COFP is ineffective and unsatisfactory for patients and practitioners, which impacts on their relationship. Fundamental barriers to accessing and implementing psychological interventions for COFP arise from ineffective communication between physicians and patients, and between medical and dental practitioners. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? COFP is characterized by persistent pain in the face, mouth, or jaws that are not the result of organic disease or physical trauma. Patients with COFP present

Computer and Internet usage by Canadian dentists.

PubMed

Flores-Mir, Carlos; Palmer, Neal G; Northcott, Herbert C; Huston, Carolyn; Major, Paul W

2006-03-01

To determine the frequency of computers in Canadian dental offices and to assess their use; to evaluate Internet access and use in Canadian dental offices; and to compare use of computers and the Internet by Canadian dentists, by the general public and by other dental groups. An anonymous, self-administered survey of Canadian dentists was conducted by mail. A potential mailing list of 14,052 active Canadian dentists was compiled from the 2003 records of provincial regulatory bodies. For each province, 7.8% of the general dentists were randomly selected with the help of computer software. The surveys were mailed to this stratified random sample of 1,096 dentists. The response rate was 28%. Of the 312 respondents, 4 (1%) were in full-time academic positions, 15 (5%) were not practising, and 9 (3%) provided incomplete data. Therefore, 284 survey responses were available for descriptive analysis. Two hundred and fifty-seven (90%) of the respondents had a computer in their primary practice. Computers were used mainly for administrative tasks (accounting, bookkeeping and scheduling) rather than clinical tasks. Internet access was common (185/250 or 74%), and high-speed Internet access (93/250 or 37%) was increasingly common, judging from the results of previous studies on computer use. The main reasons given for not having in-office Internet access were security or privacy concerns and no reported need for or interest in the service. Computer use was high in this sample of Canadian dentists, but a small proportion of dental offices remained without computers. Canadian dentists" use of the Internet was greater than that of American dentists, private enterprise and the North American public in general.

A review of occupationally-linked suicide for dentists.

PubMed

Jones, L M; Cotter, R; Birch, K M

2016-06-01

Suicide rates among dentists and a perceived elevated risk for suicide have been debated in the academic literature. It has filtered into the public psyche that dentists have the highest suicide rate of any occupation. The present review seeks support for both protagonist and antagonist positions from multidisciplinary perspectives. Contemporary risk factors and strategies for intervention and the prevention of suicide in dentistry are explored. An online database search for articles and reports, with selected target words, was conducted for peer reviewed publications on suicide in the dental profession, and for factors contributing to dentist suicide. Review guidelines from the American Psychological Association were used to clarify concepts, identify where most work was focussed, and to explore the superiority of any approach to the emotive topic over another. Findings suggest the dominant belief that dentists have an elevated risk of suicide may be historically, but not currently, accurate. Although dentists' suicide is trending down, diversity in methodology means no current consensus is possible. Factors found to be influencing dentists' suicide ranged from known occupational stressors, to toxins and substance abuse, and untreated mental health problems. The contemporary position in New Zealand shows dentists per sé are not more likely than other health professionals to commit suicide although they may have been in the past. Dentists should be aware of individual susceptibility to burnout and mental health problems. Future directions are outlined to address this including peer intervention, and programmes available for dentists to cope better with risks leading to suicide.

Factors influencing patients' continuing attendance at a given dentist.

PubMed

Lucarotti, P S K; Burke, F J T

2015-03-01

It is the aim of this paper to consider the factors associated with a patient's continuing attendance at a particular dentist's surgery. A data set was established consisting of General Dental Services' (GDS) patients whose birthdays were included within a set of randomly selected dates, 20 in each possible year of birth. The data set was restricted to those patients aged 18 or older in 2003 who attended only one dentist in only one postcode area in 2003, and who also attended only one dentist in the same postcode area in 2005, and where the dentist attended in 2003 was also practising in the same postcode area in 2005. The patients were classified by age, gender and charge-paying status, and by whether they had attended a GDS dentist in 2002, and the dentists attended in 2003 were classified by age and gender. The proportion of patients changing dentists between 2003 and 2005 was calculated, together with standard error (se), for each combination of these factors. This was then replicated for each year from 1993-2002. Data for 323,382 patients were included in the analysis for 2003, these patients having not changed address during a two-year period, nor had their dentist changed location. The proportion of patients changing dentist over the period 2003 and 2005 was 15.5% (se 0.06 PCT). This has increased steadily since 1993, when the proportion was 12.4%. Factors influencing whether a patient changes dentist include patient age and charge paying status, dentist age and gender, and the patient's previous attendance pattern.

Shortage in the face of plenty: improving the allocation of corneas for transplantation.

PubMed

de By, T M M H

2003-01-01

As there are plenty of potential corneal donors, theoretically there should be no shortage of corneal grafts. Practically, however, shortages have been a problem, especially with HLA-matched corneas, which are increasingly requested. This increase requires evaluation and proper adaptation to meet all requests in the future. BIS' allocation data for corneal transplants were analyzed for the years 1998 through 2001. Allocation of matched corneas almost doubled in 2000. The waiting list for matched grafts could be reduced by one third. A steep increase in demand for matched grafts could be noted by the year 2000. This signifies that the results of positive matching studies have ultimately been taken notice of by the ophthalmic surgeons with consequent adaptation of their graft orders. BIS has mostly been able to cope with these rapidly changing and increasing demands, but more efforts are continuously needed to supply those typed and matched corneas within short time. Our next step will be to offer HLA-DR matching routinely in addition to the current HLA-A/-B matching. We are looking forward with great interest to the introduction of even more specified matching algorithms in the not too far distant future, and are prepared to meet all the requirements which might be associated with such challenges.

A Short-Form Measure of Dentists' Job Satisfaction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rabiner, Donna J.; And Others

1994-01-01

A 14-item instrument, the Dentist Satisfaction Survey-14, a form of a previously validated instrument, is described. Use with 522 dentists, and 29 in a follow-up, indicates that the short form is a parsimonious tool for general evaluation of dentists' job satisfaction. (SLD)

Dentists' use of digital radiographic techniques: Part I - intraoral X-ray: a questionnaire study of Swedish dentists.

PubMed

Svenson, Björn; Ståhlnacke, Katri; Karlsson, Reet; Fält, Anna

2018-03-01

The present study aims to gain knowledge about the dentist's use and choice of digital intraoral imaging methods. A questionnaire sent to 2481 dentists within the Swedish Dental Society contained questions about the type of X-ray technique used, problems experienced with digital radiography, and reasons for choosing digital technology, and about indications, clinic size and type of service. Response rate was 53%. Ninety-eight percent of the dentists had made the transition to digital radiography; only 2% used film technique, and solid-state detector (SSD) was the most used digital technique. More years in service decreases the likelihood of applying individual indications for performing a full mouth examination. More retakes were done with SSDs compared to storage phosphor plates. Reasons for choosing digital techniques were that work was easier and communication with the patients improved. However, dentists also experienced problems with digital techniques, such as exposure and projection errors and inadequate image quality. The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority states that all radiological examinations should be justified, something not always followed. This study showed that 98% of the respondents, Swedish dentists within the Swedish Dental Society, used digital techniques, and the most used was the solid-state technique.

Current Vaccine Shortages and Delays

MedlinePlus

... value="Submit" /> Related Links Vaccines & Immunizations Current Vaccine Shortages & Delays Recommend on Facebook Tweet Share Compartir ... vaccination are included in this update. Chart of Vaccines* in Delay or Shortage National Vaccine Supply Shortages ...

Is The Water Shortage Crisis Really One of the Most Dangerous?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Narayanan, M.

2010-12-01

Author of the 1998 book, Last Oasis: Facing Water Scarcity, Dr. Sandra Postel predicts big water availability problems as populations of so-called “water-stressed” countries jump perhaps six fold over the next 30 years. The author has reported on this in his previous AGU presentations. In the next four decades, more than half of the world’s population will have to deal with sever water shortages. The United States has been blessed with several large fresh water lakes. In spite of having this fresh water supply, some states like Arizona could be facing sever fresh water shortages in the next couple of decades. Sid Wilson, general manager of the Central Arizona Project has indicated "It's not a question of if there is a water shortage anymore. It is in reality, when there will be a water shortage. " Several states share water from the Colorado river. The river has limited water supply to cater to the needs of Arizona, Nevada, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. World Health Organization, NASA, Department of the Interior, NOAA and several organizations have observed that there is a real water shortage crisis. This is because the world’s population has tripled in the twentieth century. This has resulted in a six-fold increase of water usage. Fresh water supply is limited. This is because water cannot be replaced with an alternative. It is important to observe that petroleum can be replaced with alternative fuel resources. It is necessary to recognize that fact that irrigation necessitates almost 65% to 70% of water withdrawal. Industry may utilize about 20% and domestic consumption is about 10% Evaporation from reservoirs is also a major factor, depending upon the climate and environment. Therefore there is an urgent need for all the countries to establish a strong, sound, sensible and sustainable management program for utilizing the available water supplies efficiently (Narayanan, 2008). References: Narayanan, Mysore. (2008). Hydrology, Water

Practice of Sealants and Preventive Resin Restorations Among Malaysian Dentists.

PubMed

Chin, Zhe W; Chong, Wai S; Mani, Shani A

2016-01-01

To assess the knowledge, attitude and utilisation regarding fissure sealants (FS) and preventive resin restorations (PRR) among Malaysian dentists. A questionnaire consisting of 35 questions was distributed by mail or an online survey to 425 registered dentists selected according to place of work by stratified random sampling. One hundred fifty-three dentists responded to the survey. A positive attitude towards FS and PRR was noted among most Malaysian dentists. About half of the respondents used FS/PRR occasionally (48.4%), while few (13.7%) applied them routinely. The majority of the dentists agreed that minimally invasive dentistry is important and FS are effective in caries prevention, using them on high caries-risk individuals. Most of the dentists used pumice or paste to clean teeth before placing FS/PRR. A significant number of dentists used a bonding agent prior to placing FS. Although only 57.5% dentists were aware of guidelines for FS use, most dentists agreed that guidelines are important. Although there was a positive attitude towards FS/PRR, few dentists applied them routinely. Some of the steps undertaken for placement of FS and PRR were outdated. Updating local guidelines for dentists to ensure uniform practice of FS and PRR is justified.

Occupational radiation procedures and doses in South Korean dentists.

PubMed

Kim, Yoon-Ji; Cha, Eun Shil; Lee, Won Jin

2016-10-01

Dentistry is among the occupations involving chronic exposure to ionizing radiation. Although several cohort studies on medical radiation workers have been conducted in some countries, only a few epidemiological studies on dentists have been performed to examine occupational radiation exposure worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate occupational characteristics and radiation exposures in South Korean dentists. A total of 658 dentists were surveyed from April 2012 to May 2013, and survey data were linked with dosimetry data from the National Dose Registry. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify the relationship between demographic or occupational factors and individual radiation doses. Of the dentists sampled, 78% were men, 51% were younger than age 40, and 61% began employment after 2000. The most frequent procedures performed by dentists were panoramic radiography, followed by intraoral and portable dental radiography. Male dentists were more frequently involved in radiation procedures, and a higher proportion of male than female dentists wore a lead apron for diagnostic radiology. The average annual effective dose was 0.18 mSv for male and 0.13 mSv for female dentists. Female dentists working in provincial areas had significantly higher average annual and cumulative effective doses than those in metropolitan areas. The cumulative effective doses were significantly greater for older dentists, those who entered the field in the 1990s, and those with longer employment duration. Our findings provided detailed information on work practices, number of procedures performed on a weekly basis, and occupational radiation doses, which enabled in-depth evaluation of occupational radiation exposure and work status among dentists. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dentists' awareness toward vaccine preventable diseases.

PubMed

Petti, Stefano; Messano, Giuseppe A; Polimeni, Antonella

2011-10-19

Effective infection control in dentistry is unfeasible without an adequate immunization program for dental health care providers (DHCPs). Such an assumption is demonstrated for some vaccine preventable infectious diseases (VPIDs), such as Hepatitis B, Influenza and Varicella. However, excluding Hepatitis B vaccine, immunization programs for DHCPs are few and often unclear about which vaccinations are recommended, thus leading to generally low awareness and consequent low vaccination rates. This survey investigated dentists' awareness toward VPIDs. At the moment of registration to a dental congress, a questionnaire regarding the immunization status toward VPIDs was anonymously filled in by 379 Italian dentists (86% of the contacted dentists), with at least fifteen years of activity. DHCP specific awareness was considered high if dentists reported to have controlled the serum level of anti-HBs during the last ten years and have received seasonal influenza vaccine annually. Awareness toward VPIDs was classified high if dentists reported to be immune against six or seven of the following VIPDs, Hepatitis B, Influenza, Varicella, Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Tetanus. DHCP specific awareness resulted high for 32.5% of subjects and low for 31.1%. None of the subjects reported high awareness toward VPIDs, while for 60% of them, such awareness was low (immunization status reported for none or one of the seven VPIDs). Low dentists' awareness stresses the need for a transparent immunization program which is effective in controlling VPID transmission in the dental health care settings and focuses on those VPIDs which pose a true risk of infection for DHCPs and patients. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exercise Prescriptions to Prevent Musculoskeletal Disorders in Dentists

PubMed Central

Kumar, Dodda Kiran; Mohan, Sreevalli; Begum, Mohammadi; Prasad, Bhanu; Prasad, Eswar Ravi Vara

2014-01-01

Since the number of dental patients is increasing day by day dentists are forced to spend longer times in dental chairs. This is increasing the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in dentists. This article reviews the mechanisms causing musculoskeletal disorders among dentists and also covers the exercises that can be done to prevent them. Exercises that increase the fitness of a dentist are divided into aerobic exercises – concentrating on total body fitness, stretching exercises – that concentrate on the muscles that tend to tighten in prolonged dental postures and strengthening exercises – that concentrate on the muscles that are opposite to the tight muscles. These exercises are made simple and of minimal intensity so that a dentist can practice them independently. PMID:25177661

Professional practice among woman dentist

PubMed Central

Pallavi, S. K.; Rajkumar, G. C.

2011-01-01

Objective: This review aims to give an inside view of professional career of a women dentist, addresses the unique demands of being a woman dentist, and highlight ways to address these issues. Materials and Methods: The Medline database, scholarly literature, and informal literature were considered for this review. Results: Working hours of female dentists do not differ significantly from the working hours of their male counterparts, until they have children. The female dentists’ working hours showed a distinct drop as soon as they started a family. It was also found that women dentists are more likely to take career break. It is clear that childrearing and family responsibilities have a great impact on women's working life. Significant differences between males and females in work title and specialization were evident in an academic institution. Due to the societal orientation which regards women as primarily home makers, the responsibilities for family caretaking continues to fall disproportionately on women, and this fact could explain why women abandon their careers in the advanced stages. Conclusions: Efforts should be made to identify and reduce barriers to women's advancement in dentistry. PMID:24478948

Dentist-assistant interaction styles in Jordan.

PubMed

Khader, Y S; Abu-Sharbain, G

2009-05-01

To assess dentist-assistant interaction and communication styles and their associated factors in Jordan. Three different areas in Amman where private dental clinics heavily cluster were chosen. The researcher visited all dental clinics in these areas and invited dentists to participate in this study. A structured self-administered questionnaire was designed and included the 22 items on staff communication that were used by Gorter and Freeman to assess communication styles. The culturally adapted items were analysed in such a way to reflect the structure that is used in the original study. There was a significant interaction between dentist's gender and communication styles (F = 3.8, P = 0.022). The only significant difference between men and women was for professional leadership style (P = 0.011) where men were more likely to adopt professional leadership style than women. For men, the average score for friendly leadership style was significantly lower than that for other styles. For women, the average score was the highest for gender interacting style which was significantly higher than that for friendly leadership style and professional interacting style, but not business leadership style. Communication and interaction styles between Jordanian dentists and their assistants differ according to gender. Jordanian dentists are less likely to adopt friendly leadership communication style compared with other styles.

Good work for dentists--ideal and reality for female unpromoted general practice dentists in a region of Sweden.

PubMed

Hjalmers, Karin

2006-01-01

Female unpromoted general practice dentists (GPDs) in the Public Dental Health Service (PDHS) constitute about one fourth of all working dentists in Sweden. Unpromoted means that the position is without managerial functions. According to many reports, they have a problematic psychosocial work situation. Describe the perceived health for these GPDs, in comparison with others with a similar work situation. Analyse their sense of support in comparison with others. Describe how they perceived "good work", i.e. both the healthy and socially responsible work, and whether there was a difference between their ideal and their reality. Analyse patterns in two aspects - the moral and the career aspects - of "good work" for dentists. In zooo, questionnaires were sent to all female unpromoted GPDs in the PDHS in a region of Sweden. The response rate was 94%. The dentists felt unwell, worse than other compared groups. There was little support from the management. There was little inter-colleague contact. There was no cross-sectional assciation between collegial neworks and support, but the qualitative investigation showed that collegial networks were perceived as positive. There was a great difference between ideal and reality concerning good work. The dentists felt a lack of influence, and this was the greatest difference of all. Three components of good work - "moral values and skill discretion", "career development" and "work environment" were found. The dentists emphasized the moral basis of their work, confirming the character of dentistry as primarily human service work. There were serious work environmental problems among these dentists. The dentists felt unwell and felt a great lack of influence on important decisions. There was little inter-colleague contact, but collegial networks were perceived as positive. There was little support from the management, indicating a clear weakness in the relations between employers and female unpromoted GPDs in the PDHS. Three

Working relationship between dentists and dental hygienists: their perceptions.

PubMed

Pritzel, S J; Green, T G

1990-01-01

The purpose of this study was to reexamine the working relationship between the dentist and the dental hygienist with regard to delegation and professional interaction. A questionnaire was mailed to Michigan dentists and dental hygienists to acquire data regarding dental hygiene practice, office procedures, and employer/employee interaction. Of the 500 dentists surveyed, 289 (58%) returned questionnaires, and of the 360 hygienists surveyed, 298 (83%) returned questionnaires. The dental hygienists' perception of their practice is significantly different from the dentists' in several major areas. More than half of the dentists reported checking the hygienist's work all of the time, whereas only one third of the hygienists reported always being checked. Assessment of patient needs by a clinical caries examination is perceived differently. Most of the hygienists reported they perform clinical caries examinations all of the time, whereas only two thirds of the dentists reported the hygienist always performs an examination. Delegation of auxiliary procedures is viewed similarly by both dentists and hygienists, but procedures which can be performed are not being delegated. With respect to professional communications, half of the dentists perceive that they provide feedback to the hygienist all of the time, while only one third of the hygienists feel they receive feedback all of the time. In determining the recall interval, most of the dentists reported establishing it in consultation with the hygienist, whereas half of the hygienists reported setting it alone. Data suggest that the dentists' perceptions are inconsistent with the hygienists' in role delineation and patient care.

Less counseling on Early Childhood Caries transmission by dentists

PubMed Central

Milgrom, Peter; Huebner, Colleen E.; Mancl, Lloyd; Garson, Gayle; Grembowski, David

2013-01-01

Objective High levels of Streptococcus mutans on teeth of young children are predictive of Early Childhood Caries (ECC). Transmission from mother-to-child is common and studies have demonstrated treatment of the mother results in less ECC. The objective of this study was to determine how dentists have adopted the practice of counseling about ECC. Methods In 2006 as part of a larger study on dental care for pregnant women, we surveyed 829 general dentists in Oregon. The questionnaire contained questions to capture the extent to which general dentists have adopted counseling pregnant women about ECC transmission, to describe personal and practice characteristics, and examine how dentists' views on the ease of adopting of new procedures related to ECC counseling. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify separate and additive effects of demographic and practice characteristics, attitudes, and beliefs. Results The adjusted odds of a dentist who strongly believed in the link between mothers and babies and provided ECC counseling were 1.60 (95% CI 1.3-2.0, P<0.01). The odds of a dentist who reported discussing ECC with staff members and provided counseling were 2.7 (95% CI 1.7-4.3, P<0.01). Male dentists were less likely to counsel patients than female dentists (Adjusted OR = 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-1.0, p<0.05). Conclusions The strongest predictors of counseling patients about ECC were dentists' belief in the evidence of caries transmission and dentists' discussion of ECC during staff meetings. PMID:22970775

Stress in doctors and dentists who teach.

PubMed

Rutter, Harry; Herzberg, Joe; Paice, Elisabeth

2002-06-01

To explore the relationship between a teaching role and stress in doctors and dentists who teach. Medline, PubMed, BIDS database for social sciences literature, and the ERIC database for educational literature were searched using the key words 'stress' or 'burnout' with the terms doctor, physician, dentist, teacher, lecturer, academic staff, and university staff. Other books and journals known to the authors were also used. Many studies have shown high levels of stress in doctors, dentists, teachers, and lecturers. A large number of factors are implicated, including low autonomy, work overload, and lack of congruence between power and responsibility. Doctors and dentists who take on a teaching role in addition to their clinical role may increase their levels of stress, but there is also evidence that this dual role may reduce job-related stress. Working as a doctor or dentist may entail higher levels of stress than are experienced by the general population. In some situations adding in the role of teacher reduces this stress, but more research is needed to explain this finding.

Dentist-Patient Interactions in Treatment Decision-Making: A Qualitative Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redford, Maryann; Gift, Helen C.

1997-01-01

A University of North Carolina study using focus groups of dentists and patients found dentist-patient interactions play an important role in treatment decision-making, and are predicated on non-clinical factors, including dentists' intuition and judgment and patient impressions of dentists' examination styles, personalities, and interpersonal…

The Hispanic and Latino Dentist Workforce in the United State

PubMed Central

Mertz, Elizabeth; Wides, Cynthia; Calvo, Jean; Gates, Paul

2017-01-01

Objectives The purpose of this paper is to describe the Hispanic/Latino (H/L) dentist workforce, their general practice patterns, and their contributions to oral health care for H/L and underserved patients. Methods A national sample survey of underrepresented minority dentists was conducted in 2012 and received a 35.4% response rate for self-reported H/L dentists. Data were weighted for selection and response bias to be nationally representative. A workforce profile of H/L dentists was created using descriptive and multivariable statistics and published data. Results Among all H/L dentists (weighted n=5,748), 31.9% self-identify their origin as Mexican, 13.4% as Puerto Rican, 13.0% as Cuban, and 41.7% as another H/L group. The largest share of H/L dentists are male, married, and have children under age 18. Fifty percent of H/L dentists are foreign-born and 25% are foreign-trained. H/L dentists report higher than average educational debt, with those completing International Dentist Programs reporting the highest debt load. Sixty-nine percent of clinically active H/L dentists own their own practices, and 85% speak Spanish in their practice. Among clinical H/L dentists, 7% work in safety-net settings, 40% primarily treat underserved populations, and, on average, 42% of their patient population is H/L. Conclusions H/L dental providers are drastically underrepresented in the dentist population, and those that are in practice shoulder a disproportionate share of dental care for minority and underserved communities. Improving the workforce diversity of dental providers is a critical part of strategy to address the unacceptably high burden of dental disease in the H/L population. PMID:28025830

Establishing a good dentist-patient relationship: skills defined from the dental faculty perspective.

PubMed

Orsini, Cesar A; Jerez, Oscar M

2014-10-01

The importance of developing good dentist-patient relationships has been well documented, but previous studies have focused on social techniques, not considering the psychological and behavioral characteristics of patients, and have used definitions and instruments that were not dental-specific. Therefore, the aims of this study were to propose a definition of dentist-patient relationship skills, derived from dental faculty members' criteria and informed by Emotional Intelligence concepts, and to propose a preliminary dental-specific, face-valid, and reliable self-assessment instrument. The study was conducted in three phases. Phases I and II defined dentist-patient relationship competence through literature analysis and semi-structured interviews with expert key informants, establishing the outcome skills. In Phase III, the instrument was constructed and piloted. Communication skills and basic psychological tools resulted in core topics for use in practice. The definition both specifies and broadens social interactions in dentistry by including dental faculty members' criteria and topics such as psychological tools and pre-, intra-, and postoperative topics appropriate for use during consultation, examination, and treatment. The instrument was found suitable, reasonable, and accessible with a Cronbach's alpha level of 0.95. Future studies are needed to confirm the definition, as well as the instrument's validity, reliability, transference, and sensitivity to the dental educational environment.

Establishment of prevention: what do dentists in northern Germany suggest?

PubMed

Hussein, R J; Schneller, T; Dierks, M-L; Walter, U

2013-11-01

Dentists' suggestions for the establishment of preventive care were investigated on 3 levels; dentist, dental associations and unions (DAU), and health care system (HCS). Associations between categories of suggestions and dentists' characteristics were explored. A postal survey was sent to 2,075 dentists practicing in Bremen and Lower Saxony. The answers on 3 open-ended questions were analysed in a qualitative manner based on the quality control protocol (QCP) of the Federal Joint Committee. Quantitative methods were used for exploring associations between categories of suggestions and gender as well as age. Response rate was 33% (n=685). Dentists made 2,120 suggestions (dentist=752, DAU= 574, HCS= 794). The majority of dentists (90%) suggested educating and motivating patients. Dentists stated that support from DAU is needed in educating the public (50%), offering preventive-oriented training (35%), and in advertising for prophylaxis (18%). On the HCS level, about 60% of the suggestions concerned remunerating prophylaxis and expanding the existing bonus system. Significantly more female (p=0.010) and younger dentists (p=0.031) contributed to educating patients than male and older dentists. Education is the key message of this work. Essential topics such as prevention for elderly and risk groups were not a focal point. Education on the DAU and HCS levels can be realised through organising nation-wide health campaigns. Funding options for prevention and regulating multidisciplinary work between dentists and other health-care providers should be examined. These changes can contribute enormously to further establish prevention. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Current employment characteristics and career intentions of Lithuanian dentists.

PubMed

Janulyte, Vilija; Aleksejuniene, Jolanta; Puriene, Alina; Peciuliene, Vytaute; Benzian, Habib

2014-12-20

The present survey explored the current employment profile and future career intentions of Lithuanian general dentists and specialists. A census sampling method was employed with data collected by means of a structured questionnaire that inquired about demographics, different employment-related aspects (practice type and location, working hours, perceived lack of patients, etc.), and future career intentions (intent to emigrate, to change profession, or the timing of retirement). The final response rate was 67.6% corresponding to 2,008 respondents. The majority of all dentists work full or part-time in the private dental sector, more than one third of them owns a private practice or rents a dental chair. A minority of dentists works in the public dental sector. According to the survey, 26.6% of general dentists and 39.2% of dental specialists works overtime (> 40 hours per week; P < 0.001) and practice in multiple clinics (1.4 ± 0.6 and 2.0 ± 1.2, respectively; P < 0.001). One third of general dentists (31.3%) and dental specialists (31.4%) stated to have a low number of patients (P > 0.05). The majority (68.9% of general dentists and 65.9% of dental specialists) plans to work after the retirement age (P > 0.05). Emigration as an option for their professional career is being considered by 10.8% of general dentists and 8.3% of dental specialists (P > 0.05). Working either full or part-time in private practices (OR = 4.3) and younger age (≤ 35 years; OR = 2.2) are the two strongest predictors for a perceived insufficient number of patients. One third of dentists in Lithuania work long hours and lack patients. Many dentists practice in multiple locations and plan to retire after the official retirement age. Some dentists and dental specialists plan to emigrate. The perceived shortcomings within the dental care system and workforce planning of dentists need to be addressed.

The STEM shortage paradox

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Margaret

2014-10-01

The UK is believed to suffer from a shortage of scientists and engineers, yet unemployment rates for new graduates in these fields are high. Does that mean the skills shortage doesn't exist, asks Margaret Harris.

The Hispanic and Latino dentist workforce in the United States.

PubMed

Mertz, Elizabeth; Wides, Cynthia; Calvo, Jean; Gates, Paul

2017-03-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe the Hispanic/Latino (H/L) dentist workforce, their general practice patterns, and their contributions to oral health care for H/L and underserved patients. A national sample survey of underrepresented minority dentists was conducted in 2012 and received a 35.4 percent response rate for self-reported H/L dentists. Data were weighted for selection and response bias to be nationally representative. A workforce profile of H/L dentists was created using descriptive and multivariable statistics and published data. Among all H/L dentists (weighted n = 5,748), 31.9 percent self-identify their origin as Mexican, 13.4 percent as Puerto Rican, 13.0 percent as Cuban, and 41.7 percent as another H/L group. The largest share of H/L dentists are male, married, and have children under age 18. Fifty percent of H/L dentists are foreign-born and 25 percent are foreign-trained. H/L dentists report higher than average educational debt, with those completing International Dentist Programs reporting the highest debt load. Sixty-nine percent of clinically active H/L dentists own their own practices, and 85 percent speak Spanish in their practice. Among clinical H/L dentists, 7 percent work in safety-net settings, 40 percent primarily treat underserved populations, and, on average, 42 percent of their patient population is H/L. H/L dental providers are underrepresented in the dentist population, and those that are in practice shoulder a disproportionate share of dental care for minority and underserved communities. Improving the workforce diversity of dental providers is a critical part of strategy to address the high burden of dental disease in the H/L population. © 2016 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Prescription Drug Shortages: Implications for Ambulatory Pediatrics.

PubMed

Donnelly, Katie A; Zocchi, Mark S; Katy, Tamara A; Fox, Erin R; van den Anker, John N; Mazer-Amirshahi, Maryann E

2018-05-08

To describe contemporary drug shortages affecting general ambulatory pediatrics. Data from January 2001 to December 2015 were obtained from the University of Utah Drug Information Service. Two pediatricians reviewed drug shortages and identified agents used in ambulatory pediatrics. Shortage data were analyzed by the type of drug, formulation, reason for shortage, duration, marketing status, if a pediatric friendly-formulation was available, or if it was a single-source product. The availability of an alternative, and whether that alternative was affected by a shortage, also was noted. Of 1883 products in shortage during the study period, 314 were determined to be used in ambulatory pediatrics. The annual number of new pediatric shortages decreased initially but then increased to a high of 38 in 2011. Of the 314 pediatric shortages, 3.8% were unresolved at the end of the study. The median duration of resolved shortages was 7.6 months. The longest shortage was for ciprofloxacin 500-mg tablets. The most common class involved was infectious disease drugs. Pediatric-friendly dosage forms were affected in 19.1% of shortages. An alternative agent was available for 86% drugs; however, 29% of these also were affected. The most common reason for shortage was manufacturing problems. Drug shortages affected a substantial number of agents used in general ambulatory pediatrics. Shortages for single-source products are a concern if a suitable alternative is unavailable. Providers working in the ambulatory setting must be aware of current shortages and implement mitigation strategies to optimize patient care. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimating the Number of Dentists Needed in 2040.

PubMed

Eklund, Stephen A; Bailit, Howard L

2017-08-01

Numerous factors that underlie the need for dentists are undergoing significant changes. Three factors are especially important: 1) improvements in oral health; 2) lower expenditures per patient per year, giving dentists the incentive to treat more patients to maintain incomes that justify their investment in dental education and practice; and 3) dental schools' producing new dentists at a faster rate than the growth in the population. If these trends continue, there is likely to be a dentist surplus of between 32% and 110% by 2040. A major challenge for dental schools is to adjust the production of dentists before 2040 and not wait for market forces to reduce the surplus. Whether there will be a painful market-based solution to the problem, as there was in the 1980s, or whether a more orderly path can be found is one of the key challenges of the project "Advancing Dental Education in the 21 st Century," for which this article was written.

Dealing with labor shortages in long-term care: a marketing problem.

PubMed

Moore, S T

1990-01-01

A recent analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor statistics raise serious implications for the long-term care industry. The human resource problems faced by managers in long-term care will escalate into a fullblown crisis by the end of this century. This will result from a decrease in the number of young workers available to work in unskilled and semiskilled occupations. The effect of this shortage will be exaggerated by an expansion of other sectors of the service industry. Long-term care facilities will be forced to compete with the fast food and retail industry as well as other sectors of the health industry for scarce workers. This article briefly examines the causes, consequences of this problem and suggests several strategies to mitigate the effect of the coming labor shortage.

Pilot study to train dentists to communicate about oral cancer: the impact on dentists' self-reported behaviour, confidence and beliefs.

PubMed

Awojobi, O; Newton, J T; Scott, S E

2016-01-22

To evaluate the effect of a brief, focused training session on the use of an oral cancer communication guide on dentists' intentions, self-efficacy and beliefs with regards to communicating about oral cancer with patients. Pre-post intervention study. The training session took place in a lecture theatre at King's College London. Dentists working in various settings were trained on the use of the oral cancer communication guide via a structured session that included an update on oral cancer, modelling the use of the guide in practice, and role playing. Dentists (n = 39) completed questionnaires pre-training, immediately post-training (n = 31) and after 2 weeks (n = 23). Questionnaires assessed current practice, self-efficacy and barriers to discussing oral cancer. A significantly higher proportion of dentists reported that they informed patients that they were being screened for oral cancer post-training (44%) than pre-training (16%). Significantly fewer perceived barriers and higher self-efficacy to discuss oral cancer were also reported. Training dentists in the use of the guide showed positive impact by reducing perceived barriers and increasing self-efficacy.

HIV/AIDS knowledge and its implications on dentists

PubMed Central

Prabhu, Anand; Rao, Arun Prasad; Reddy, Venugopal; Krishnakumar, Ramalingam; Thayumanavan, Shanmugam; Swathi, Silla Swarna

2014-01-01

Aims and Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the knowledge of dentists regarding human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Materials and Methods: A structured questionnaire to evaluate the knowledge, fears, and attitudes was self administered to 102 dentists. The data was then evaluated using Chi-square test and a P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results and Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggest that dentists in private practice and affiliated with teaching institutions, had better knowledge than their counterparts who were into private practice alone. It was concluded that despite good knowledge many of the dentists expressed some hesitation in treating patients with HIV/AIDS. PMID:25097403

Study Shows Administrative Shortage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, John R., Jr.

1989-01-01

Summarizes "Administrative Shortage in New England: The Evidence, the Causes, the Recommendations." High pressure, long hours, low salaries, and high housing costs are among the reasons cited for the shortage. Recommendations are centered on role identity, staff support, training, and recruitment. (SI)

Solving the Teacher Shortage Problem in Ghana: Critical Perspectives for Understanding the Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cobbold, Cosmas

2015-01-01

The problem of getting sufficient numbers of qualified teachers to staff classrooms is one of the most significant public policy issues facing many countries. In Ghana, the problem of teacher shortage has been a perennial one, necessitated by educational expansion as well as adverse socio-economic and political circumstances, and exacerbated by…

Women Dentists at Work: Views from the Glass Ceiling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tillman, Randi S.

1992-01-01

A workshop on female dentists in management is summarized. Topics included female dentists' experience in a predominantly male profession, rejection of feminism as a political movement, need to improve female dentists' opportunities, and gender differences in management style. An evolution in women's issues since the 1960s is seen. (MSE)

Dentists' perceptions of providing care in long-term care facilities.

PubMed

Chowdhry, Nita; Aleksejūnienė, Jolanta; Wyatt, Chris; Bryant, Ross

2011-01-01

To compare the perceptions of dentists in British Columbia regarding their decisions to provide treatment in long-term care facilities and to explore changes since 1985 in Vancouver dentists' attitudes to treating elderly patients in such facilities. Dentists were randomly selected from all of British Columbia in 2008 and surveyed with a similar questionnaire to that used for a 1985 study of Vancouver dentists. The attitudes of current dentists, the patterns of their perceptions and trends over time were analyzed. Of the 800 BC dentists approached for the survey in 2008, 251 replied (31% response rate). Only 37 (15%) of these respondents were providing treatment in long-term care facilities, and another 48 (19%) had stopped providing services in this setting. Among those providing care, important considerations were continuing education in geriatrics, the presence of a dental team and fee-for-service payment. The most common reasons for deciding to provide services in long-term care facilities were to increase the number of patients being served and to broaden clinical practice. Dentists who had stopped treating patients in long-term care facilities reported their perception that treating elderly people is financially unrewarding and professionally unsatisfying. The perceptions of dentists shifted substantially from 1985 to 2008. In particular, dentists responding to the 2008 survey who had never provided services in long-term care facilities were more likely to perceive administrative difficulties and a lack of financial reward as barriers than those surveyed in 1985. In addition, the proportion of Vancouver dentists with advanced education in geriatrics declined over the period between the 2 studies (75 [22%] of 334 in 1985, 10 [11%] of 87 in 2008). Dentists who did not provide care for residents of long-term care facilities in 2008 seemed more likely to be deterred by administrative difficulties and financial costs than those not providing such care in 1985. In

Factors related to job satisfaction among South Korean dentists.

PubMed

Jeong, Seong-Hwa; Chung, Jae-Kyun; Choi, Youn-Hee; Sohn, Woosung; Song, Keun-Bae

2006-12-01

The purposes of this study were to investigate the level and distribution of job satisfaction and to explore work environment factors associated with job satisfaction of South Korean dentists. A stratified systematic random sample of 1029 dentists was selected from the 10 357 registered dentists in the Korean Dental Association. They were surveyed via a self-administered mail questionnaire. Job satisfaction was measured by a modified version of the Dentist Satisfaction Survey. The response rate was 62.2%. The mean score of overall job satisfaction among South Korean dentists was 3.2 out of 5. In terms of work environment factors, the most satisfying aspect was patient relations (3.7) and the least satisfying aspect was personal time (2.8). Multiple regression analysis identified a model including patient relations, perception of income, personal time, staff, and specialty training that accounted for 35% of variation in overall job satisfaction. The majority of the variance was explained by patient relations. This study suggests that patient relations, perception of income, personal time, staff, and specialty training are important work environment factors for job satisfaction among South Korean dentists. The findings of this study will be helpful to policy makers to design plans to increase the level of job satisfaction among South Korean dentists.

Perception of Acceptable Range of Smiles by Specialists, General Dentists and Lay Persons and Evaluation of Different Aesthetic Paradigms.

PubMed

Saha, Mainak Kanti; Khatri, Margie; Saha, Suparna Ganguly; Dubey, Sandeep; Saxena, Divya; Vijaywargiya, Neelam; Kala, Shubham

2017-02-01

One of the most important goals of restorative dentistry is to restore the patient's aesthetic. Smile analysis is subjective and it differs from person to person. An aesthetic smile involves a harmonious relationship between various parameters including the hard and soft tissues. The aim of the study was to identify the acceptable range of several smiles (alone and in conjunction with the face) by specialists, general dentists as well as lay persons; and to identify the values of different criteria i.e., the Golden Proportion (GP), the Recurrent Esthetic Dental proportion (RED), Width to Height ratio (W/H ratio), the Apparent Contact Dimension (ACD), and lateral incisor position in a smile. Hundred photographs of 50 subjects were taken, 50 of the smile alone and 50 of the individual's frontal view of face. The photographs of the smiles and the faces were assessed for the aesthetic acceptability by 30 evaluators including 10 specialists with advanced training, 10 general dentists and 10 lay persons. Irreversible hydrocolloid impressions were made of the dentitions of all the individuals using stock trays and were poured in dental stone. Measurements were made on the facial surface of the teeth on the models and were recorded in millimeters using a sharp tipped digital vernier calliper. Data was analyzed to evaluate the presence of different parameters assessed in the smiles. Mean and standard deviation values for the percentage of only the agreeable smiles were calculated in both individual smile analysis and in conjunction with the face. The non agreeable smiles were excluded from further statistical analysis. Pearson Correlation Coefficient was calculated to compare the values obtained in all the three groups. More number of smiles were considered agreeable by the general dentists when compared to the specialists and the number even increased in case of evaluation by lay persons. Greater number of smiles was found to be agreeable when they were evaluated in

Travel burden and dentist bypass among dentally insured children.

PubMed

McKernan, Susan C; Pooley, Mark J; Momany, Elizabeth T; Kuthy, Raymond A

2016-06-01

Using administrative data from Iowa Medicaid and a large private dental insurer, we compared distance to the nearest primary care dentist for children ages 6-15 in 2012. Additionally, we examined rates of provider bypass in both populations as an indicator of spatial accessibility to dental care. We calculated measures of travel burden, including distance to the nearest primary care dentist and distance to current primary care dentist. Distance outcomes and rates of bypass, traveling beyond the nearest dentist for care, were compared by insurance type. We found that Medicaid-enrolled children lived farther from the nearest dentist and farther from their current dentist than privately insured children. However, rates of bypass were higher among the privately insured population. These results were consistent among urban and rural residents; additionally, both rural populations demonstrated greater travel distances than urban dwellers. Travel burden was greater among Medicaid-enrolled children. Lower rates of bypass, in conjunction with lower rates of dental utilization in this population, may indicate a distance threshold beyond which dental care becomes unattainable. © 2016 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

[The organization of Jewish dentists in pre-Israel Palestine].

PubMed

Keren-Kratz, M

2016-04-01

The first modern dental institutes were established in Europe and in the USA during the 1840s. At that period there wasn't a single qualified doctor in Palestine, not to mention a professional dentist. A couple of decades later, as the number of Christian pilgrims grew, some modern hospitals were established and a few non-Jewish dentists opened their clinics in Jerusalem, which was then and in the following decades, the region's largest city. In Europe, dentistry became a popular profession among Jews in general and among Jewish women in particular. The first Jewish dentist settled in Jerusalem in the mid-1880s. Other dentists were slow to arrive and their number began to grow only after the turn of the 20th century. Their professional education varied from those who were trained as apprentices by other dentists to those which studied a couple of years in an academic dental school. The devastation caused by WWI prompted American-Zionist organizations to send a special medical unit to Palestine in 1918. Along medical supplies it also brought a small group of doctors and dentists. The two American dentists that decided to remain in Palestine took upon themselves to spread their medical and scientific knowledge. They also organized the dentists, whose number grew considerably during the 1920s, and called the authorities to regulate the dental profession. In 1926 the British authorities issued a decree regulating all medical professions. It demanded that dental practitioners will be licensed after proving their previous studies and professional knowledge. In 1931, local dentists' organizations decided to establish the Palestine Dental Association. Five years later it was accepted as a member by the International Dental Federation (FDI) and was recognized by the local authorities. Since the 1930s, prominent Jewish dentists from abroad were invited to come to Palestine to lecture, and local dentists participated in international conferences. This prompted the first

Barriers to Medicaid Participation among Florida Dentists

PubMed Central

Logan, Henrietta L.; Catalanotto, Frank; Guo, Yi; Marks, John; Dharamsi, Shafik

2015-01-01

Background Finding dentists who treat Medicaid-enrolled children is a struggle for many parents. The purpose of this study was to identify non-reimbursement factors that influence the decision by dentists about whether or not to participate in the Medicaid program in Florida. Methods Data from a mailed survey was analyzed using a logistic regression model to test the association of Medicaid participation with the Perceived Barriers and Social Responsibility variables. Results General and pediatric dentists (n=882) who identified themselves as either Medicaid (14%) or Non-Medicaid (86%) participants responded. Five items emerged as significant predictors of Medicaid participation, with a final concordance index of 0.905. Two previously unreported barriers to participation in Medicaid emerged: 1) dentists’ perception of social stigma from other dentists for participating in Medicaid, and 2) the lack of specialists to whom Medicaid patients can be referred. Conclusions This study provides new information about non-reimbursement barriers to Medicaid participation. PMID:25702734

[Strategies to Cope with the Shortage of Technologists: Facing the Mass-Retirement of the 'Baby-Boomer' Generation].

PubMed

Morikane, Keita; Yamada, Miyuki

2015-03-01

In Japan, the primary 'baby-boomer' generation, born between 1947 and 1949, is now in its retirement. This has caused a marked shortage of human resources nationwide. Clinical laboratory technologists are no exception, and many clinical laboratories in Japanese healthcare facilities are struggling with management because the number of new graduates, i.e., newly licensed technologists, is mostly fixed and, therefore, their recruitment is becoming more and more competitive. Our laboratory is now facing a wave of mass-retirement associated with our history. In addition, in the early 2000s, there was almost no position for new graduates replacing those retiring because of the change in the social healthcare system as well as our hospital's policy. This resulted in uneven numbers of technologists in generations, and it seemed to be getting worse. Fortunately, five years ago, the direction of social health care was changed and lots of positions became available as a result. We have been trying to recruit new graduates and experienced technologists as well, and were able to hire 18 people. Among them, 8 were non-freshmen. The generation gap has been mostly resolved. We will continue to make our laboratory more attractive not just to new graduates but also to experienced technologists, especially those who wish to return to work after a several-year absence to raise their children. We believe that this will energize our laboratory.

Why don't dentists talk to patients about oral cancer?

PubMed

Awojobi, O; Newton, J T; Scott, S E

2015-05-08

Up to half of oral cancer patients are diagnosed with advanced lesions. One route to early diagnosis could involve dentists raising awareness of oral cancer through discussions with patients, emphasising prompt help-seeking. This study explores opinions and practices of dentists regarding discussing oral cancer with patients including views on barriers and facilitators. Qualitative in-depth interviews.Setting Dentists working in general dental practices in the United Kingdom were interviewed in 2013. In-depth interviews with dentists (n = 16) were conducted. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Data was analysed using framework analysis. Dentists recognised the importance of raising awareness but identified several barriers to discussions including system factors (for example, time constraints and a lack of financial incentive), patient factors (for example, fear of invoking undue anxiety) and dentist factors (for example, a lack of sufficient knowledge, training and self-confidence). Facilitators included developing practice standards and good dentist-patient relationships. Identified barriers may hold back efforts to raise awareness of oral cancer and could be targeted in future initiatives to encourage early detection.

“Musculoskeletal problem”: Its prevalence among Iranian dentists

PubMed Central

Nokhostin, Mohammad Reza; Zafarmand, A. Hamid

2016-01-01

Objectives: Musculoskeletal problems (MSPs) are a major complication for practitioners in the field of dentistry. The present study is designed to define the prevalence of MSPs among Iranian dentists. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey conducted on 600 dentists. The questions were about demographic characteristics, headache, and physical problems of different parts of the body. Data were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. Results: Of all dentists studied, 67.5% had physical problems. These MSPs were observed in neck (51.87%), wrist (92.96%), waist (11.11%), and shoulder (7.40%) of the practitioners. Some practitioners took leave of absence (18.52%), while others (7.40%) underwent medical care. There was a direct correlation between age (P = 0.0001), high body mass index (BMI; P = 0.021), total number of daily under-care patients (P = 0.002), and little physical activity (P = 0.0001) with MSPs. Conclusion: The prevalence of MSPs is very high among dentists. Awareness about preventive care is necessary for dentists. The dental curriculum also should address ergonomic issues for dental educators. PMID:27195226

The best way to bring a dentist into your practice.

PubMed

Christensen, Gordon J

2003-03-01

Solo practice is the most common practice mode in dentistry. It probably will remain so for a long time to come. However, numerous advantages and some disadvantages are present for those dentists wanting or needing to have another practitioner in their practices. Finding the right employee dentist, associate or partner is a difficult task, but the success of many multidentist practices has shown that it can be done. Also, having another trusted dentist in the practice can facilitate exiting from the practice at retirement, allowing the retiring dentist to turn over his or her patients to the other dentist without the worry or anxiety of selling to an unknown party.

Minnesota dentists׳ attitudes toward the dental therapist workforce model.

PubMed

Blue, Christine M; Rockwood, Todd; Riggs, Sheila

2015-06-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate dentists' attitudes and perceptions toward dental therapists, a new licensed dental provider in Minnesota. This study employed mixed modes to administer a survey using a stratified random sample of 1000 dentists in Minnesota. The response rate was 55% (AAPOR RR1: n=551/999). Results showed a majority of dentists were opposed to dental therapists performing irreversible procedures. In addition, results identified perceived barriers to hiring a dental therapist and found dentists do not believe dental therapists will alleviate oral health disparity in the State. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Perceived barriers to preventive dental care among Libyan dentists.

PubMed

Arheiam, Arheiam; Masoud, Ibtisam; Bernabé, Eduardo

2014-01-01

To explore the barriers to providing preventive dental care to patients, as perceived by Libyan dentists working in Benghazi. A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted among dentists working in Benghazi, Libya. All dentists registered with the Dental Association of Benghazi and with 2 or more years of practice were invited to participate. The questionnaire collected information on participants' demographic and professional characteristics as well as the patient-, practice- and dentist-related barriers to providing preventive dental care. Scores for each type of barrier were compared by demographic and professional characteristics in bivariate and multivariate analyses. One hundred and seventy five dentists returned the questionnaires (response rate: 79%) and 166 had complete information on all the variables selected for analysis (75%). The majority were females (70%), aged between 23 and 34 years (85%), was working in the public health sector (43%), and had up to 5 years of service (46%). Patient-related barriers were scored the highest, followed by practice- and dentist-related barriers. Dentists with mixed practice reported lower scores on patient- and practice-related barriers than those in public or private practice. Respondents were generally aware of the barriers to preventive dentistry and perceived the barriers as being more related to their patients than to their practices or themselves. However, these perceptions varied by practice sector.

Portuguese Dentists' Attitudes Towards Their Role in Addressing Obesity.

PubMed

Gomes, Frederico José da Silva; Paula, Anabela Baptista Pereira; Curran, Alice E; Rodrigues, Manuel Alves; Ferreira, Manuel Marques; Carrilho, Eunice Virgínia Palmeirão

2016-01-01

To determine Portuguese dentists' role in addressing obesity. For this pilot study, the original version of the Dentists' Role In Addressing Obesity questionnaire was translated from English into Portuguese and validated to ensure that it was culturally adapted for Portuguese dentists. The questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of 400 Portuguese dentists. SPSS Statistics 20 was used to analyse the survey sampling design and assess respondents' attitudes and opinions, outcome expectations and self-efficacy both as ordinal and dichotomised variables. The analysis was a descriptive statistic based on frequencies, without symmetry test. In all, 141 dentists responded. Overall, 22.0% of respondents offered a form of counseling services and 58.9% reported that they were interested in offering obesity-related services. A paucity of trained personnel (58.9%) was cited by the respondents as a major barrier, followed by patients' rejection of weight-loss advice (32.6%) and fears of offending patients (29.1%). 92% of respondents agreed that dentists would be more willing to intervene if obesity were linked to oral disease. Healthcare providers must coordinate prevention and interventional efforts for maximum effect. Given the positioning of dentists willing to assist in such an effort, it appears reasonable for experts in obesity intervention in conjunction with dental educators to develop intervention models to be implemented within the scope of the dental practice.

Perceived barriers to preventive dental care among Libyan dentists.

PubMed

Arheiam, Arheiam; Masoud, Ibtisam; Bernabé, Eduardo

2014-01-01

Aim To explore the barriers to providing preventive dental care to patients, as perceived by Libyan dentists working in Benghazi. Settings and design A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted among dentists working in Benghazi, Libya. Materials and methods All dentists registered with the Dental Association of Benghazi and with 2 or more years of practice were invited to participate. The questionnaire collected information on participants' demographic and professional characteristics as well as the patient-, practice- and dentist-related barriers to providing preventive dental care. Statistical analysis Scores for each type of barrier were compared by demographic and professional characteristics in bivariate and multivariate analyses. Results One hundred and seventy five dentists returned the questionnaires (response rate: 79%) and 166 had complete information on all the variables selected for analysis (75%). The majority were females (70%), aged between 23 and 34 years (85%), was working in the public health sector (43%), and had up to 5 years of service (46%). Patient-related barriers were scored the highest, followed by practice- and dentist-related barriers. Dentists with mixed practice reported lower scores on patient- and practice-related barriers than those in public or private practice. Conclusion Respondents were generally aware of the barriers to preventive dentistry and perceived the barriers as being more related to their patients than to their practices or themselves. However, these perceptions varied by practice sector.

Empowering Malaysian dentists to tobacco dependence treatment conduct.

PubMed

Nordin, Amer Siddiq Amer; Kadir, Rahimah Abdul; Yahya, Nurul Asyikin; Zakaria, Hazli; Rashid, Rusdi Abdul; Habil, Mohamed Hussain

2014-08-01

As a signatory to the World Health Organisation 2003 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Malaysia has policies in place and funded 300 public Quit clinics. Unfortunately, government dentists are not included to run tobacco dependence treatment. A cross-sectional exploratory survey was carried out to seek Malaysian dentists' opinion on their knowledge, perception and willingness to conduct tobacco dependence treatment. Participation was voluntary from those who attended a specially designed one-day, four-module workshop on tobacco cessation intervention. Data were collected using the Audience-Response-System equipment which tracked immediate responses covering four domains namely: smoking as a public health problem, smoking as an addiction, the role of dentists in the programme and confidence in conducting smoking cessation in the clinic. Sample comprised more female dentists (73.5%), mean age 33.6 (SD 8.99) years and with more than 3 years working experience. Findings indicated that the majority agreed Malaysia has a rising problem in the prevalence of smoking (71.6%) and predicted that it will affect mostly the young (81.9%). Only half of the dentists surveyed (58.9%) routinely recorded their patients' smoking habits. The majority (71.6%) believed that dentists are effective in helping their patient to stop smoking and 76.3% agreed that dentists should discuss the smoking habit with their patients; however, 60% agreed that doing so is too time consuming. In addition, only 24.7% knew of more ways to treat a smoking habit. The majority felt comfortable giving advice to patients about changing their habits (76.5%) or discussing treatment options (60.5%): 75% would opt for a combined programme of counselling and use of medication if they have to do, 15% would choose to go on counselling only, while 8% did not want to treat. In conclusion, the findings suggest that dentists have a strong potential to contribute significantly to providing smoking cessation

Evaluating the head posture of dentists with no neck pain.

PubMed

Mostamand, J; Lotfi, H; Safi, N

2013-10-01

Dentistry is one of the professions that requires a high degree of concentration during the treatment of patients. There are many predisposing factors, affecting dentists when working on the patient's teeth, including neck flexion, arm abduction and inflexible postural positions, which may put them at the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders related to the neck. Although dentists with long records of service show different levels of pain and discomfort in their necks, there is no evidence regarding whether younger dentists report neck pain before the onset of an abnormal condition in this region, including forward head posture (FHP). Discovering any alteration in the head posture of dentists might confirm one of the reasons for neck pain in this population. Forty one dentists with no neck pain and forty controls having jobs other than dentistry who had no risk factors related to head posture voluntarily participated in the present study. A standard method was used to measure the cervical curve in these two groups. There was no significant difference between the mean values of cervical curve in dentists and the control group (p > 0.05). There was also no significant difference between cervical curve values in dentists working for either 5-8 years or 8-12 years (p > 0.05). The only significant difference was observed in mean cervical curve values of men and women in the dentist group (p < 0.05). No alteration of cervical curve in the dentist group compared to controls might be due to absence of pain sensation in the dentists in the current study. In other words, this group might have not yet experienced sufficient change in head posture to experience significant pain in their neck region. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pediatric dentist density and preventive care utilization for Medicaid children

PubMed Central

Heidenreich, James F.; Kim, Amy S.; Scott, JoAnna M.; Chi, Donald L.

2014-01-01

Purpose This study evaluates the relationship between county-level pediatric dentist density and dental care utilization for Medicaid-enrolled children in Washington State. Methods This is a cross-sectional analysis of 604,885 children ages 0-17 enrolled in the Washington State Medicaid Program for ≥11 months in 2012. The relationship between county-level pediatric dentist density, defined as the number of pediatric dentists per 10,000 Medicaid-enrolled children, and preventive dental care utilization was evaluated using linear regression models. Results In 2012, 179 pediatric dentists practiced in 16 of the 39 counties in Washington. County-level pediatric dentist density varied from zero to 5.98 pediatric dentists per 10,000 Medicaid-enrolled children. County-level preventive dental care utilization ranged from 32 percent to 81 percent, with 62 percent of Medicaid-enrolled children in Washington utilizing preventive dental services. After adjusting for confounders, county-level density was significantly associated with county-level dental care utilization (β=1.67, 95 percent CI=0.02, 3.32, p=0.047). Conclusions There is a significant relationship between pediatric dentist density and the proportion of Medicaid-enrolled children who utilize preventive dental care services. Policies aimed at improving pediatric oral health disparities should include strategies to increase the number of oral health care providers, including pediatric dentists, in geographic areas with large proportions of Medicaid-enrolled children. PMID:26314606

Pediatric Dentist Density and Preventive Care Utilization for Medicaid Children.

PubMed

Heidenreich, James F; Kim, Amy S; Scott, JoAnna M; Chi, Donald L

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate county-level pediatric dentist density and dental care utilization for Medicaid-enrolled children. This was a cross-sectional analysis of 604,885 zero- to 17-year-olds enrolled in the Washington State Medicaid Program for 11-12 months in 2012. The relationship between county-level pediatric dentist density, defined as the number of pediatric dentists per 10,000 Medicaid-enrolled children, and preventive dental care utilization was evaluated using linear regression models. In 2012, 179 pediatric dentists practiced in 16 of the 39 counties in Washington. County-level pediatric dentist density varied from zero to 5.98 pediatric dentists per 10,000 Medicaid-enrolled children. County-level preventive dental care utilization ranged from 32 percent to 81 percent, with 62 percent of Medicaid-enrolled children utilizing preventive dental services. County-level density was significantly associated with county-level dental care utilization (Slope equals 1.67, 95 percent confidence interval equals 0.02, 3.32, P<.05). There is a significant relationship between pediatric dentist density and the proportion of Medicaid-enrolled children who utilize preventive dental care services. Policies aimed at improving pediatric oral health disparities should include strategies to increase the number of oral health care providers, including pediatric dentists, in geographic areas with large proportions of Medicaid-enrolled children.

Dentists versus auto mechanics: are there ethical differences?

PubMed

Riley, Crystal

2013-01-01

The different ethical perspectives of dentists and auto mechanics include primary concern, billing procedures, advertising, emergency care, the level of autonomy granted to their patients/ clients, the amount of disclosure given to their patients/clients, the ability to judge the work of others, and the freedom to pursue romantic relationships with their patients/clients. In analyzing these differences, one finds dentists to have much greater ethical obligations than auto mechanics. There are subtle differences between the ethical expectations of Canadian and United States dentists.

What motivates dentists to work in prisons? A qualitative exploration.

PubMed

Smith, P A; Themessl-Huber, M; Akbar, T; Richards, D; Freeman, R

2011-08-26

To explore what motivates dentists to work in prisons using Vroom's theoretical model of motivation as an explanatory framework. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten of the 15 dentists working in Scottish prisons. The focus was to explore their motivations to work in Scottish prisons. The data were analysed using a thematic framework based on the three motivational dimensions of expectancy, instrumentality and valence. The dentists had the skills to help improve their prisoner-patients' oral health but their efforts were often hindered by institutional rationing and the requirement to fit in with prison routines and procedures (expectancy). Despite these institutional difficulties the dentists experienced work rewards associated with the improvement in the prisoners' oral health (instrumentality). Finally, the dentists experienced a feeling of personal worth and a sense of commitment to providing care to Scottish prisoners (valence). The dentists' motivation to work in Scottish prisons may be explained by Vroom's Expectancy Theory. The dentists' motivation is characterised by their beliefs that their work will improve clinical outcomes which will be rewarded by the satisfaction experienced when they overcome environmental obstacles and provide oral health care for their prisoner-patients.

Superintendents' Perceptions of the Principal Shortage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pijanowski, John C.; Hewitt, Paul M.; Brady, Kevin P.

2009-01-01

The research literature on the principal shortage is inconsistent regarding the actual scope of the shortage and a clear articulation of factors contributing to the successful recruitment and retention of today's school leaders. Often, critical data related to the principal shortage are ignored, including the number of younger principals…

Demand in pediatric dentistry for sedation and general anesthesia by dentist anesthesiologists: a survey of directors of dentist anesthesiologist and pediatric dentistry residencies.

PubMed

Hicks, C Gray; Jones, James E; Saxen, Mark A; Maupome, Gerardo; Sanders, Brian J; Walker, Laquia A; Weddell, James A; Tomlin, Angela

2012-01-01

This study describes what training programs in pediatric dentistry and dental anesthesiology are doing to meet future needs for deep sedation/general anesthesia services required for pediatric dentistry. Residency directors from 10 dental anesthesiology training programs in North America and 79 directors from pediatric dentistry training programs in North America were asked to answer an 18-item and 22-item online survey, respectively, through an online survey tool. The response rate for the 10 anesthesiology training program directors was 9 of 10 or 90%. The response rate for the 79 pediatric dentistry training program directors was 46 of 79 or 58%. Thirty-seven percent of pediatric dentistry programs use clinic-based deep sedation/general anesthesia for dental treatment in addition to hospital-based deep sedation/general anesthesia. Eighty-eight percent of those programs use dentist anesthesiologists for administration of deep sedation/general anesthesia in a clinic-based setting. Pediatric dentistry residency directors perceive a future change in the need for deep sedation/general anesthesia services provided by dentist anesthesiologists to pediatric dentists: 64% anticipate an increase in need for dentist anesthesiologist services, while 36% anticipate no change. Dental anesthesiology directors compared to 2, 5, and 10 years ago have seen an increase in the requests for dentist anesthesiologist services by pediatric dentists reported by 56% of respondents (past 2 years), 63% of respondents (past 5 years), and 88% of respondents (past 10 years), respectively. Predicting the future need of dentist anesthesiologists is an uncertain task, but these results show pediatric dentistry directors and dental anesthesiology directors are considering the need, and they recognize a trend of increased need for dentist anesthesiologist services over the past decade.

[Hepatitis risk to dentists. Studies on the frequency of hepatitis in dentists in the Munich region and in the district of Upper Bavaria].

PubMed

Eisenburg, J; Holl, J; Kruis, W; Weinzierl, M; Grunst, J; Puttkammer, D; Wendl, N

1977-05-19

Dentists have a particular risk of acquiring viral hepatitis because of their close contact with blood and saliva during dental manipulations--especially as the majority of dentists do not use gloves during work and often have small cuts and abrasions on their hands. On the other hand personnel in the dentist's office offers several potential modes of parenteral and oral-intestinal transmission of hepatitis. In order to find out the risk of dentists exposing themselves to hepatitis-infection (especially hepatitis B-infection) we performed a questionnaire-study among practicing dentists all over Oberbayern. 858 replies were received after distribution of 1030 questionnaires (participation: 83.3%) and could by analyzed. 116 dentists had had a hepatitis during their professional work (13.5%). The frequency of hepatitis among the younger colleagues--who were practicing from 1 to 14 years--was about 5%. The number of hepatitis-infections increased continually up to 33% after 35--39 years of professional activity. In a second study blood samples were taken from 773 dentists and were tested for HB3Ag by radioimmunoassay. Of these 773 blood samples taken 25 (3.5%) were found to be antigen-positive. Compared to the general population the risk of infection is 6- to 30 times higher in dentists. The challenge of hepatitis-virus-infection can at present be met only-and at least in part-by scrupulous attention to prophylactic measures, such as using disposable gloves, needles and syringes and in autoclaving all non-disposable equipment. Besides dental personnel and patients should be screened at regular intervals for the presence of HBsAG.

Dental auxiliaries for dental care traditionally provided by dentists.

PubMed

Dyer, Tom A; Brocklehurst, Paul; Glenny, Anne-Marie; Davies, Linda; Tickle, Martin; Issac, Ansy; Robinson, Peter G

2014-08-20

Poor or inequitable access to oral health care is commonly reported in high-, middle- and low-income countries. Although the severity of these problems varies, a lack of supply of dentists and their uneven distribution are important factors. Delegating care to dental auxiliaries could ease this problem, extend services to where they are unavailable and liberate time for dentists to do more complex work. Before such an approach can be advocated, it is important to know the relative effectiveness of dental auxiliaries and dentists. To assess the effectiveness, costs and cost effectiveness of dental auxiliaries in providing care traditionally provided by dentists. We searched the following electronic databases from their inception dates up to November 2013: the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) Group's Specialised Register; Cochrane Oral Health Group's Specialised Register; the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Issue 11, 2013); MEDLINE; EMBASE; CINAHL; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness; five other databases and two trial registries. We also undertook a grey literature search and searched the reference list of included studies and contacted authors of relevant papers. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), non-randomised controlled clinical trials (NRCTs), interrupted time series (ITSs) and controlled before and after studies (CBAs) evaluating the effectiveness of dental auxiliaries compared with dentists in undertaking clinical tasks traditionally performed by a dentist. Three review authors independently applied eligibility criteria, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of each included study and two review authors assessed the quality of the evidence from the included studies, according to The Cochrane Collaboration's procedures. Since meta-analysis was not possible, we gave a narrative description of the results. We identified five studies (one cluster

Dentist-patient communication in the multilingual dental setting.

PubMed

Goldsmith, C; Slack-Smith, L; Davies, G

2005-12-01

Communication between dentists and patients can be exceptionally challenging when the patient and the dentist do not speak the same language, as is frequently the case in multicultural Australia. The aim of this study was to describe the issues involved in dealing with limited-English speaking patients in order to formulate recommendations on how to improve dental communication. A cross sectional study was performed using a postal survey to Australian Dental Association member dental practitioners in Western Australia. Responses were collated and data analysis was performed using SPSS 11.5 for Windows. Most respondents encounter language-related communication barriers weekly or monthly, and the most satisfactory method of communication is informal interpreters. Despite reporting satisfaction working with professional chairside interpreters or dental staff interpreters, most respondents did not use them. The most common alternative communication methods were diagrams and models. Endodontics and periodontics provided the greatest challenge in communication. Informed consent was reportedly compromised due to language barriers by 29 per cent of respondents. Recommendations to improve communication included access to interpretation services, dentist technique/attitude to communication and patient preparedness for English-speaking encounters. Many respondents do not utilize the preferential communication methods, creating a potential compromise to both informed consent and the patients' best interests. The use of professional interpreters is recommended, and discussion should be supplemented with means of non-verbal communication. Dentists require access to lists of multilingual dentists and greater awareness of interpretation services to improve multilingual dentist-patient communication.

The impact of patient's complaints on New Zealand dentists.

PubMed

Stuart, Tania; Cunningham, Wayne

2015-03-01

This study aimed to investigate the impact of receiving a patient complaint on dentists in New Zealand. A qualitative research method was chosen to investigate the experience of dentists in receipt of a complaint. Nine dentists practising in New Zealand who had received complaints from a variety of sources were interviewed. All volunteered having responded to requests and advertisements seeking participants for the study. In-depth interviews with line-by-line transcript analysis allowed the discovery of themes and subthemes related to the impact of complaints. Receiving a complaint was a stressful experience for these dentists. Anxiety, loss of confidence, fear of loss of income and altered relationships with complainants characterised respondents' personal responses. Dentists were distracted from family time by the complaint, and their families experienced upset and anxiety. Anxiety spread within the practice to colleagues and staff. Respondents and their staff had to cope with difficult and at times abusive behaviour from complainants and their families. Dentists reported feeling helpless, struggling with lack of timeliness, the need for a satisfactory and meaningful resolution and the impact of third parties, particularly in the genesis of the complaint. They were aware of costs incurred by patients. They sought meaningful support but sometimes late in the process. For these respondents the complaint led to few changes in their practice. Receiving a complaint is a stressful experience and dentists need appropriate emotional as well as legal support. The responsibility for this lies with the wider profession.

The financial impacts of the nursing shortage.

PubMed

Rivers, Patrick A; Tsai, Kai-Li; Munchus, George

2005-01-01

This article examines the multiple factors leading to the nursing shortage and the financial impact of the nursing shortage on hospitals and health care providers, the government, society and educational institutions. Nursing shortages have occurred in this country throughout history, however, the current shortage is especially grappling due to the financial condition of the health care system, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the Balanced Budget Act, the compounding conditions that have led up to the shortage and the forecasted health care needs. Many solutions have been proposed to improve the nursing shortage. This article provides recommendations to problem solving methods and discusses some current policy alternatives, including recently enacted "nurse-patient ratio" regulation, demonstrated by California state policy and the "Magnet Certification" program developed by American Nursing Credential Center (ANCC). This article further examines the financial impacts on nursing shortage problem.

Heading Off a Ph.D. Shortage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaughn, John C.; Rosenzweig, Robert M.

1991-01-01

Discussed is the projected shortage of Ph.D.s in the natural sciences and engineering by the turn of the century. Included are reasons for the shortage and three ways to reduce the projected shortages. Topics discussed include a complete federal strategy, attracting more minorities and women, and institutional reform. (KR)

The Nursing Shortage: Causes, Impact, and Innovative Remedies. Hearing Before the Committee on Education and the Workforce, House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventh Congress, First Session. Hearing Held in Washington, DC, September 25, 2001.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

This congressional hearing consists of testimony on the nursing shortage facing the country. It examines the causes and impact of the nursing shortage that the nation faces and introduces innovative remedies currently being undertaken by educational institutions and the health care industry, and makes suggestions for further action. Testimony…

Job Satisfaction and Relocation Desire among Pediatric Dentists in Puerto Rico.

PubMed

Arévalo, Oscar; Saman, Daniel M; Tabares, Miguel; Hernández, Ana; Sanders-Ward, Rebecca

2015-12-01

To determine the levels of satisfaction, license status, and desire to relocate of pediatric dentists in Puerto Rico. Pediatric dentists in Puerto Rico were surveyed via telephone interviews. Data were collected through a 34-item questionnaire that explored satisfaction as related to income, continuing education, professional goals, and participation in the Mi Salud program. Frequencies, chi-square analysis, and Fisher's exact 2-tailed t-test were utilized to determine the relationships between satisfaction and the demographics of the pediatric dentists. Sixty pediatric dentists participated in our survey-77% of the total number of pediatric dentists practicing in Puerto Rico. Overall, 65% of the participating pediatric dentists expressed dissatisfaction. Male pediatric dentists were more dissatisfied than their female colleagues were. Most pediatric dentists participating in Mi Salud expressed dissatisfaction. When asked about whether or not they had considered migrating to the mainland, those who were dissatisfied were more likely to have considered that idea than were those who were satisfied. Overall, 57% of the pediatric dentists comprising our sample had considered relocating to the continental United States. In general, the pediatric dentists who participated in our study expressed dissatisfaction in most areas except when asked about their ability to reach professional goals. Determining the levels of satisfaction of health care providers is important in the maintaining of an adequate workforce. As current levels of dissatisfaction are high, it is important to determine what variables are related to satisfaction so that corrective measures can be taken to ensure that retention rates improve, thereby maintaining an adequate pediatric dental workforce.

Predicting dentists' decisions: a choice-based conjoint analysis of Medicaid participation.

PubMed

Kateeb, Elham T; McKernan, Susan C; Gaeth, Gary J; Kuthy, Raymond A; Adrianse, Nancy B; Damiano, Peter C

2016-06-01

Private practice dentists are the major source of care for the dental safety net; however, the proportion of dentists who participate in state Medicaid programs is low, often due to poor perceptions of the program's administration and patient population. Using a discrete choice experiment and a series of hypothetical scenarios, this study evaluated trade-offs dentists make when deciding to accept Medicaid patients. An online choice-based conjoint survey was sent to 272 general dentists in Iowa. Hypothetical scenarios presented factors at systematically varied levels. The primary determination was whether dentists would accept a new Medicaid patient in each scenario. Using an ecological model of behavior, determining factors were selected from the categories of policy, administration, community, and patient population to estimate dentists' relative preferences. 62 percent of general dentists responded to the survey. The probability of accepting a new Medicaid patient was highest (81 percent) when reimbursement rates were 85 percent of the dentist's fees, patients never missed appointments, claims were approved on first submission, and no other practices in the area accepted Medicaid. Although dentists preferred higher reimbursement rates, 56 percent would still accept a new Medicaid patient when reimbursement decreased to 55 percent if they were told that the patient would never miss appointments and claims would be approved on initial submission. This study revealed trade-offs that dentists make when deciding to participate in Medicaid. Findings indicate that states can potentially improve Medicaid participation without changing reimbursement rates by making improvements in claims processing and care coordination to reduce missed appointments. © 2015 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

The international migration of dentists: directions for research and policy.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, Madhan; Brennan, David Simon; Spencer, A John; Short, Stephanie Doris

2016-08-01

In 2010, the World Health Organization Global Code of Practice for International Recruitment of Health Personnel (the WHO Code) was adopted by the 193 Member States of the WHO. The WHO Code is a tool for global diplomacy, providing a policy framework to address the challenges involved in managing dentist migration, as well as improving the retention of dental personnel in source countries. The WHO Code recognizes the importance of migrant dentist data to support migration polices; minimum data on the inflows, outflows and stock of dentists are vital. Data on reasons for dentist migration, job satisfaction, cultural adaptation issues, geographic distribution and practice patterns in the destination country are important for any policy analysis on dentist migration. Key challenges in the implementation of the WHO Code include the necessity to coordinate with multiple stakeholders and the lack of integrated data on dentist migration and the lack of shared understanding of the interrelatedness of workforce migration, needs and planning. The profession of dentistry also requires coordination with a number of private and nongovernmental organizations. Many migrant dentist source countries, in African and the South-Asian WHO Regions, are in the early stages of building capacity in dentist migration data collection and research systems. Due to these shortcomings, it is prudent that developed countries take the initiative to pursue further research into the migration issue and respond to this global challenge. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[An inventory of knowledge on tuberculosis among dentists in the Netherlands].

PubMed

Burger, M S; Abraham-Inpijn, L; Vissink, A

2012-03-01

By the nature of his work, a dentist has a higher risk of tuberculosis infection than the average Dutch population. Thus, the question arises whether dentists do have sufficient knowledge on tuberculosis. In order to determine their knowledge, an inventory was conducted among a sample of dentists in the Netherlands. Analysis of the dentists' response to 19 correct or incorrect statements revealed that their knowledge level on tuberculosis was rather low, did not vary with regard to gender, and was independent of the region where they were practising and of their explicit medical interest. The dentists indicated a desire for education on tuberculosis.

Demand in Pediatric Dentistry for Sedation and General Anesthesia by Dentist Anesthesiologists: A Survey of Directors of Dentist Anesthesiologist and Pediatric Dentistry Residencies

PubMed Central

Hicks, C. Gray; Jones, James E.; Saxen, Mark A.; Maupome, Gerardo; Sanders, Brian J.; Walker, LaQuia A.; Weddell, James A.; Tomlin, Angela

2012-01-01

This study describes what training programs in pediatric dentistry and dental anesthesiology are doing to meet future needs for deep sedation/general anesthesia services required for pediatric dentistry. Residency directors from 10 dental anesthesiology training programs in North America and 79 directors from pediatric dentistry training programs in North America were asked to answer an 18-item and 22-item online survey, respectively, through an online survey tool. The response rate for the 10 anesthesiology training program directors was 9 of 10 or 90%. The response rate for the 79 pediatric dentistry training program directors was 46 of 79 or 58%. Thirty-seven percent of pediatric dentistry programs use clinic-based deep sedation/general anesthesia for dental treatment in addition to hospital-based deep sedation/general anesthesia. Eighty-eight percent of those programs use dentist anesthesiologists for administration of deep sedation/general anesthesia in a clinic-based setting. Pediatric dentistry residency directors perceive a future change in the need for deep sedation/general anesthesia services provided by dentist anesthesiologists to pediatric dentists: 64% anticipate an increase in need for dentist anesthesiologist services, while 36% anticipate no change. Dental anesthesiology directors compared to 2, 5, and 10 years ago have seen an increase in the requests for dentist anesthesiologist services by pediatric dentists reported by 56% of respondents (past 2 years), 63% of respondents (past 5 years), and 88% of respondents (past 10 years), respectively. Predicting the future need of dentist anesthesiologists is an uncertain task, but these results show pediatric dentistry directors and dental anesthesiology directors are considering the need, and they recognize a trend of increased need for dentist anesthesiologist services over the past decade. PMID:22428968

Impact of dentists' years since graduation on management of temporomandibular disorders.

PubMed

Reissmann, Daniel R; Behn, Alexandra; Schierz, Oliver; List, Thomas; Heydecke, Guido

2015-12-01

The aims were to assess the impact of the number of years since dentists' graduation on appraisement of diagnostic needs and utilization of treatment options for temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and to investigate whether increased knowledge in TMD is sufficiently considered in today's dentist's undergraduate curricula and, therefore, represented in more evidence-based TMD management in dentists with less years since graduation. A questionnaire regarding knowledge and management of TMD was developed and was subsequently applied in a random sample of 400 dentists in a region in Northern Germany. Of the 222 dentists (response rate 55.6 %), participating in the study, the frequency of TMD treatment need in the general population was estimated at 21.5 %, with lower values in dentists with more years passed since graduation. Measures regarding utilization of standardized examination forms, perceptions of insufficient specialization, and referrals of patients to TMD specialists indicated a lower quality and certainty in TMD management in participants with less time since graduation. While the provision of splints was a well-established treatment option in initial TMD management of all participants, additional TMD treatment options were mentioned less often, with lower proportions of participants making use of these options within the first decade since graduation. Evidence-based TMD management is not fully represented in dental practitioners in Germany. This might be due to an insufficient consideration of TMD management in the dentist's undergraduate curricula. Effective interventions to increase dentists' knowledge and to change dentists' practices in TMD management are required.

Demand and supply of doctors and dentists in Bahrain, 1998-2005.

PubMed

Ahmed, A A; Fateha, B; Benjamin, S

2000-01-01

We examined the supply and demand of medical doctors and dentists in Bahrain. Demand for physicians and dentists was based on the objective of having a physician-to-population ratio of 1:650, and a dentist-to-population ratio of 1:5000. Analysis of the current workforce and projected graduates in the period 1998-2005 indicated that the supply of Bahraini medical doctors and dentists until the year 2005 will not be sufficient to meet the projected demand in these categories. By the year 2005, Bahraini doctors and dentists will provide 82.5% and 75.9% of medical and dental demands respectively. The remaining 17.2% of physicians and 24.1% of dentists will have to be recruited from abroad. Thus, the prospect of oversupply of Bahrainis among these categories until the year 2005 is highly unlikely.

Jacob Hemet. Dentist to royalty and entrepreneur extraordinaire.

PubMed

Ring, Malvin E

2006-11-01

One of the most prominent dentists in late-18th century London was Jacob Hemet, member of a long family of dentists. He was appointed royal dentist to Queen Charlotte, wife of George the Third, and to George's favorite daughter, Amelia, and the Prince of Wales. He advertised widely, both in this country and in several European countries, including his native France. However, what makes him noteworthy is the fact that he was the very first person to patent a dentifrice and the first to use marketing techniques similar to those used by the foremost toothpaste manufacturers of today.

Ontario dentists: 3. Radiographs prescribed in general practice.

PubMed

Swan, E S; Lewis, D W

1993-01-01

In February 1991, a mail survey was used to poll a sample consisting of about 10 per cent of Ontario's general dentists. The data obtained provided information about the radiographs prescribed by dentists for five different patient types, which were described to the respondents. The per cent agreement between the radiographic procedures prescribed by Ontario dentists and the ADA-approved Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) guidelines ranged from three per cent to 79 per cent, depending on patient type and disease risk. For each patient and risk type, there was considerable variation in the radiographs prescribed.

[Dentists' workforce in Hungary and international migration].

PubMed

Balázs, Péter

2012-06-01

In Hungary, cross-national migration in dental care was performed rather by patients from abroad instead of the domestic dentists' migration for working abroad. Actually, this tacitly realized and so-called dental tourism experienced two basic changes. The National Medical Tourism Ltd. arranged the First Conference for Development of Dental Tourism on 21 April 2011. Hungary's prime minister addressed the meeting and finally signed an agreement with the organizing Ltd. about governmental financial support for development of dental tourism. On the other hand, Germany and Austria deleted all restrictions against the free cross-national workforce migration since 1 May this year. For understanding and prognosis of dentists' future migration, it is inevitable to collect and analyse relevant data of the previous years. This study is presenting data obtained from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2010. According to the net outcome, the dentists' human resource system was balanced down to the end of 2010. However, this state is unsure even for the near future, thus preventing the deficit of dentists all necessary measures must be taken to keep up the present level of the domestic dentral service.

Dentists' Attitudes toward and Knowledge of the Elderly.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiyak, H. Asuman; And Others

1982-01-01

A survey of Washington State dentists in private practice shows generally inaccurate perceptions of the aging process. More experienced dentists held fewer stereotypes, those rating elderly patients as having good oral hygiene held positive stereotypes, and geriatrics coursework did not affect stereotypes. Implications for training and geriatric…

Identifying dentists' attitudes towards prevention guidance using Q-sort methodology.

PubMed

Witton, R V; Moles, D R

2015-06-01

To gain insight into the attitudes and motivating factors of dentists working in the English National Health Service (NHS) towards prevention guidance. Q-methodology: an established hybrid quantitative/qualitative technique used in the social sciences to categorise subjects based on their views by considering factors as part of their overall decision-making profile. General Dental Practices offering care under an NHS contract. NHS dentists (n = 26) placed 36 statements about prevention guidance derived from an earlier study into a distribution grid that ranked the statements from "most agree" to "most disagree". Principal components factor analysis was applied to determine the principal patterns in the rankings of statements. Analysis indicated a total of six distinct profiles within the responses, of which three profiles had at least six dentists loading onto them. The first profile was strongly characterised by dentists who appear motivated to provide prevention but financial and time constraints prevent them from doing so. The second was characterised by dentists using prevention guidance but restricting its use to only certain patients. The third was characterised by dentists who appeared "health-focused". They placed importance on working to prevention guidance, but were keen to have greater patient and professional support in achieving this. In this group of dentists Q-methodology identified three main profiles to the delivery of prevention guidance.

Occurrence of Cognitive and Neurological Symptoms in Norwegian Dentists

PubMed Central

Svendsen, Kristin; Syversen, Tore; Aas, Oddfrid; Qvenild, Torgunn

2011-01-01

Objectives Previous investigations have presented some evidence of late cognitive effects in dental personnel exposed to metallic mercury. We wanted to examine if Norwegian dentists have an increased prevalence of symptoms consistent with neurological and/or cognitive malfunction. Methods The study group consisted of 406 dentists from central Norway and 217 controls from the general population, all under the age of 70. They had responded to a standardised postal questionnaire (Euroquest) inquiring about seven symptoms in regard to neurology, psychosomatics, memory, concentration, mood, sleep disturbances, and fatigue. A score was calculated for each symptom based on 4 to 15 single questions scored on a scale from 1 (seldom or never) to 4 (very often). Results The dentists and controls had a participation rate of 57.2% and 42.9% respectively. The dentists reported no more cognitive symptoms than the controls, with low average symptom scores from 1.16 for neurological symptoms in males to 1.73 for fatigue in females. Corresponding figures for the controls were 1.22 and 1.77. There were a total of 1.2% of the dentists and 1.8% of the controls who reported having three or more of the seven symptoms "often" or more frequently. Conclusion Norwegian dentists do not report more cognitive and neurological symptoms than controls from the general population. PMID:22953200

Dentist education and labour market in Mexico: elements for policy definition

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Here, the educational and labour market characteristics of Mexican dentists are revised. Dentistry is a health profession that has been scarcely studied in developing countries. This analysis attempts to understand the relationships and gaps between the supply and demand of dentists in the country. Around 5000 new dentists graduate every year looking for a place in the labour market. Methods A cross-sectional study with exploratory, descriptive and correlational scope was carried out between 2006 and 2008. Analyses of quantitative data on dentists from national surveys and occupational statistics were complemented with qualitative information provided by 43 key informants in five Mexican states. Results The 2008 dentist labour market can be characterized as follows: 75% worked in the private sector, most of them independently; more than two-thirds were women; the proportion of specialists was low (slightly more than 10%); unemployment was more than 20% and labour wastage was nearly 40%, with most wastage corresponding with female dentists. The increase in the number of dentists entering the labour market during the last two decades is more related to the educational market than to the population’s health needs and the number of dentists actually required to meet them. Conclusions The problems identified in the Mexican dentist labour market necessitate urgent intervention on behalf of regulatory bodies in order to balance the tendencies of supply and demand in the number of trained professionals as well as in their incorporation into different market areas. Adequate policies are required to increase the likelihood of achieving this objective. PMID:22974344

Dentist education and labour market in Mexico: elements for policy definition.

PubMed

González-Robledo, Luz María; González-Robledo, María Cecilia; Nigenda, Gustavo

2012-09-13

Here, the educational and labour market characteristics of Mexican dentists are revised. Dentistry is a health profession that has been scarcely studied in developing countries. This analysis attempts to understand the relationships and gaps between the supply and demand of dentists in the country. Around 5000 new dentists graduate every year looking for a place in the labour market. A cross-sectional study with exploratory, descriptive and correlational scope was carried out between 2006 and 2008. Analyses of quantitative data on dentists from national surveys and occupational statistics were complemented with qualitative information provided by 43 key informants in five Mexican states. The 2008 dentist labour market can be characterized as follows: 75% worked in the private sector, most of them independently; more than two-thirds were women; the proportion of specialists was low (slightly more than 10%); unemployment was more than 20% and labour wastage was nearly 40%, with most wastage corresponding with female dentists. The increase in the number of dentists entering the labour market during the last two decades is more related to the educational market than to the population's health needs and the number of dentists actually required to meet them. The problems identified in the Mexican dentist labour market necessitate urgent intervention on behalf of regulatory bodies in order to balance the tendencies of supply and demand in the number of trained professionals as well as in their incorporation into different market areas. Adequate policies are required to increase the likelihood of achieving this objective.

Burnout and its related factors in Korean dentists.

PubMed

Jin, Myoung-Uk; Jeong, Seong-Hwa; Kim, Eun-Kyong; Choi, Youn-Hee; Song, Keun-Bae

2015-02-01

Dentistry has been identified as one of the most stressful work environments. Knowledge of modifiable work-environment factors related to job stress could lead to a strategy and policy to provide a better work environment for dentists. The aims of this study were to examine the degree and distribution of burnout and to determine the factors associated with burnout subscale of Korean dentists. A cross-sectional survey of Korean dentists was conducted using a custom-designed and validated questionnaire that incorporated the Maslach Burnout Inventory Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) as well as questions regarding sociodemographic and job-related characteristics. A random sample of 1,000 dentists was selected from 13,207 registered dentists in the Korean Dental Association. The MBI-HSS scores were summarised in the three dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and personal sense of accomplishment. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to assess the prevalence of burnout and its related factors. The adjusted response rate was 45.9% (444/967). In the subscales of burnout, 41.2%, 55.9%, and 41.4% of respondents scored highly in emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation and poorly for personal sense of accomplishment, respectively. High burnout seems to be more likely to occur in association with some of the sociodemographic and job-related characteristics, especially younger age, male gender, without occupational calling, and unwilling to reselect a dentistry as a job. This study suggests that burnout is a common problem in Korean dentists and that occupational calling and willing to reselect a dentistry as a job are important factors for managing burnout. © 2014 FDI World Dental Federation.

Association Between Dentist-Dental Hygienist Communication and Dental Treatment Outcomes.

PubMed

Hamasaki, Tomoko; Kato, Hiroaki; Kumagai, Takashi; Hagihara, Akihito

2017-03-01

Communication between physician and patient is critical in all fields of medicine, and various types of communication exist in healthcare settings. Cooperation among healthcare professionals is thought to be essential in providing high-quality services. Dental hygienists are key team members in the provision of dental care, and are known to play an important role in the health of their patients. This study aimed to determine the effect of communication between dentists and hygienists on patient satisfaction. Study subjects were dentists, patients, and dental hygienists, and we examined how dentist-dental hygienist communication affected patient outcome indices. A significant difference was observed only for satisfaction in terms of meeting expectations (p = 0.035). Results for patient satisfaction indicated significant differences in explanatory behavior in dentist-dental hygienist evaluations (p = 0.001). The results showed improved health and reduced fear, indicating significant differences for the dentist-dental hygienist evaluations in explanation behavior (p = 0.016). Our evaluation of the effects of dentist-dental hygienist communication on patient outcomes indicated a significant correlation, suggesting that inter-professional communication in the field of dentistry affects patient satisfaction.

Nurse Shortage: Fact or Fiction?

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-04-23

nursing fuctions , the perceived nursing shortage can be overcome. Whethec there really is a shortage of registered nurses or merely an insufficient...probably will remain primarily a female profession. Salary is, without question, one of the primary factors that many feel influence the entry-exit rate of

Protecting food security when facing uncertain climate: Opportunities for Afghan communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salman, Dina; Amer, Saud A.; Ward, Frank A.

2017-11-01

Climate change, population growth, and weakly developed water management institutions in many of the world's dry communities have raised the importance of designing innovative water allocation methods that adapt to water supply fluctuations while respecting cultural sensitivities. For example, Afghanistan faces an ancient history of water supply fluctuations that have contributed to periodic food shortage and famine. Poorly designed and weakly enforced water allocation methods continue to result in agriculture sector underperformance and periodic food shortages when water shortfalls occur. To date, little research has examined alternative water sharing rules on a multi-basin scale to protect food security for a subsistence irrigation society when the community faces water shortage. This paper's contribution examines the economic performance of three water-sharing mechanisms for three basins in Afghanistan with the goal of protecting food security for crop irrigation under ongoing threats of drought, while meeting growing demands for food in the face of anticipated population growth. We achieved this by formulating an integrated empirical optimization model to identify water-sharing measures that minimize economic losses while protecting food security when water shortages occur. Findings show that implementation of either a water trading policy or a proportional shortage policy that respects cultural sensitivities has the potential to raise economic welfare in each basin. Such a policy can reduce food insecurity risks for all trading provinces within each basin, thus being a productive institution for adapting to water shortage when it occurs. Total economic welfare gains are highest when drought is the most severe for which suffering would otherwise be greatest. Gains would be considerably higher if water storage reservoirs were built to store wet year flows for use in dry years. Our results light a path for policy makers, donors, water administrators, and farm

The American Indian and Alaska Native Dentist Workforce in the United States

PubMed Central

Mertz, Elizabeth; Wides, Cynthia; Gates, Paul

2017-01-01

Objectives The purpose of this paper is to describe the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) dentist workforce, the general practice patterns of these providers, and their contributions to oral health care for AI/AN and underserved patients. Methods A national sample survey of underrepresented minority dentists was conducted in 2012 and received a 34.0% response rate for self-reported AI/AN dentists. Data were weighted for selection and response bias to be nationally representative. Descriptive and multivariable statistics were computed to provide a workforce profile. Comparisons to Census data and published information on dental students and dentists were used to examine practice patterns. Results The AI/AN dentist workforce (weighted n=442) is very diverse with 55 reported individual tribal affiliations. Tribal heritage was provided by 96.4% of AI/AN dentists (n=426), and of these, 93.9% (n=400) reported an affiliation with only one tribe. The largest share of AI/AN dentists were born in the U.S. (98.2%, n=434), married (75.6%, n=333), and had dependent children under age 18 (52.0%, n=222). Only 0.9% (n=4) of AI/AN dentists spoke a traditional AI/AN language in patient care, while 10.6% (n=46) were raised on tribal land or reservation. Initial practice in the Indian Health Service was reported by 15.8% of AI/AN dentists while 16.2% report currently practicing in a safety-net setting, and 42.0% report working in a practice that primarily serves underserved patients. Conclusions AI/AN dentists provide a disproportionate share of care for AI/AN populations, yet the number of AI/AN dentists would need to increase 7.4 fold in order to meet population parity. PMID:27922723

The American Indian and Alaska Native dentist workforce in the United States.

PubMed

Mertz, Elizabeth; Wides, Cynthia; Gates, Paul

2017-03-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) dentist workforce, the general practice patterns of these providers, and their contributions to oral health care for AI/AN and underserved patients. A national sample survey of underrepresented minority dentists was conducted in 2012 and received a 34 percent response rate for self-reported AI/AN dentists. Data were weighted for selection and response bias to be nationally representative. Descriptive and multivariable statistics were computed to provide a workforce profile. Comparisons to Census data and published information on dental students and dentists were used to examine practice patterns. The AI/AN dentist workforce (weighted n = 442) is very diverse with 55 reported individual tribal affiliations. Tribal heritage was provided by 95.7 percent of AI/AN dentists (n = 423), and of these, 93.9 percent (n = 400) reported an affiliation with only one tribe. The largest share of AI/AN dentists were born in the United States (98.2 percent, n = 434), married (75.6 percent, n = 333), and had dependent children under age 18 (52.0 percent, n = 222). Only 0.9 percent (n = 4) of AI/AN dentists spoke a traditional AI/AN language in patient care, while 10.6 percent (n = 46) were raised on tribal land or reservation. Initial practice in the Indian Health Service was reported by 15.8 percent of AI/AN dentists while 16.2 percent report currently practicing in a safety-net setting, and 42.0 percent report working in a practice that primarily serves underserved patients. AI/AN dentists provide a disproportionate share of care for AI/AN populations, yet the number of AI/AN dentists would need to increase 7.4-fold in order to meet population parity. © 2016 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

A strategy to address the nursing faculty shortage.

PubMed

Ganley, Barbara J; Sheets, Ingrid

2009-07-01

This article describes one university's experience in creating a master's geriatric clinical nurse specialist-nurse educator program to address the nursing faculty shortage and the need for geriatric clinical nurse specialists. The successes and challenges are outlined, and curricular ideas that may be beneficial to other nursing programs also are presented. This program has enhanced the university's pool of clinical instructors, increased its ability to provide services to older adults, and allowed faculty to instruct and focus undergraduates in the distinctions of geriatric nursing care. The biggest challenges faced were marketing and recruitment of nurses; these challenges were addressed, and possible solutions are offered. The most immediate benefit of this program was the generation of geriatric clinical nurse specialists.

Dentists' and Parents' Attitude Toward Nitrous Oxide Use in Kuwait.

PubMed

Alkandari, Sarah A; Almousa, Fatemah; Abdulwahab, Mohammad; Boynes, Sean G

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the attitude of dentists in Kuwait toward the use of nitrous oxide sedation as a behavior management technique (BMT) for pediatric patients and assess their training in nitrous oxide sedation. In addition, we assessed parents' knowledge of and attitude toward the use of nitrous oxide as a BMT for their children. The objective was to determine if nitrous oxide sedation is being provided and utilized as a means to enhance dental care for pediatric patients. A cross-sectional survey was randomly distributed to both groups of interest: parents accompanying their children to the dentist and licensed dentists in Kuwait. Participants had to meet certain inclusion criteria to be included in the survey and had to complete the entire questionnaire to be part of the analysis. A total of 381 parents completed the questionnaires. The majority of parents responded that they were unaware of nitrous oxide sedation and were not aware of it as a BMT (79%). Two thirds of the parent would accept nitrous oxide sedation if recommended by a dentist treating their children. Two hundred and one dentists completed the survey and met the inclusion criteria. The majority (74.5%) of dentists were willing to use nitrous oxide as a BMT. However, only 6% were utilizing nitrous oxide sedation and providing it to their child patient if indicated. The main reasons for this huge gap are lack of facilities/equipment and lack of training as indicated by the dentists. This study showed that parents are accepting nitrous oxide sedation as a BMT for their children. It also showed the willingness of the dentists to provide such BMT to their patients. The lack of training and lack of equipment are the main barriers to providing such service to the patients. More training courses and more facilities should be provided to eliminate such barriers.

Occupational stress and burnout among Hong Kong dentists.

PubMed

Choy, H B; Wong, M Cm

2017-10-01

Professional burnout has been described as a gradual erosion of a person and may be one of the possible consequences of chronic occupational stress. Although occupational stress has been surveyed among dentists in Hong Kong, no study has been published about burnout in the profession. This study aimed to evaluate burnout among Hong Kong dentists and its association with occupational stress. We surveyed a random sample of 1086 registered dentists in Hong Kong, which formed 50% of the local profession. They were mailed an anonymous questionnaire about burnout and occupational stress in 2015. The questionnaire assessed occupational stress, coping strategies, effects of stress, level of burnout, and socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents. Occupational stress assessment concerned 33 stressors in five groups: patient-related, time-related, income-related, job-related, and staff-/technically related. Level of burnout was assessed by the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (22 items) with three scores: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and personal accomplishment. Completed questionnaires were received from 301 dentists (response rate, 28.3%), of whom 25.4% had a high level of emotional exhaustion, 17.2% had a high level of depersonalisation, and 39.0% had a low level of personal accomplishment. Only 7.0% of respondents, however, had a high level of overall burnout (high emotional exhaustion, high depersonalisation, and low personal accomplishment). A high level of overall burnout was significantly associated with a higher mean score for job-related stressors and lack of postgraduate qualifications (P<0.05). Patient-related stressors are the top occupational stressors experienced by dentists in Hong Kong. In spite of this, a low proportion of dentists have a high level of overall burnout. There was a positive association between occupational stress and level of burnout.

Evidence-based dentistry: fundamentals for the dentist.

PubMed

Bauer, Janet; Chiappelli, Francesco; Spackman, Sue; Prolo, Paolo; Stevenson, Richard

2006-06-01

This article explains the fundamentals of evidence-based dentistry for the dentist. Evidence-based dentistry is a discipline whose primary participant is the translational researcher. Recent developments have emphasized the importance of this discipline (clinical and translational research) for improving health care. The process of evidence-based dentistry is the reciprocation of new and existing evidence between dentists and quantitative and qualitative researchers, facilitated by the translational researcher. The product of this reciprocation is the clinical practice guideline, or best evidence, that provides the patient options in choosing treatments or services. These options are quantified and qualified by decision, utility, and cost data. Using shared decision-making, the dentist and patient arrive at a mutual understanding of which option best meets an acceptable and preferred treatment course that is cost effective. This option becomes the clinical decision.

Private dentists assess treatment required as more extensive, demanding and costly, than public sector dentists.

PubMed

Tuominen, Risto; Eriksson, Anna-Leena; Vahlberg, Tero

2012-08-01

The aim was to evaluate whether contracted private practitioners assess required treatment more extensive, demanding and economically more rewarding than mainly salaried public sector dentists and to estimate the cost consequences of using these alternative providers. All dental services included in comprehensive treatments funded by the city of Turku and provided to adult patients during the year 2009 were recorded. Patients were distributed randomly without any determination of treatment needs before appointing them to different dentists. Treatment courses for 7432 patients in public clinics included 63 906 procedures and for 2932 patients assigned to treatment by contracted private practitioners included 21 194 procedures. Public sector dentists were mainly salaried with production incentives, and private practitioners worked purely on a fee-for-service basis. The cost estimates were based on the distributions of competence classifications recorded by the providers, which also formed the basis for reimbursement. For each studied treatment category with more than one competence classification, private contractors were less likely than their public sector counterparts to give an assessment of simple or less demanding: 8% versus 29% of examinations, 46% versus 69% of periodontal treatments, 63% versus 85% of extractions, 31% versus 46% of fillings, 18% versus 35% of root canals. The excess cost to society varied from 7.0% for root canal treatments to 21.3% for extractions, causing on average 14.4% higher cost level from use of private practitioners compared with public sector dentists. Private practitioners systematically classified the treatment procedures they provided as more demanding, and therefore more economically rewarding, than their public sector counterparts. The findings indicate that the costs of publicly funded dental care may be increased by the use of private dental contractors. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Crossover of exhaustion between dentists and dental nurses.

PubMed

Hakanen, Jari J; Perhoniemi, Riku; Bakker, Arnold B

2014-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the conditions under which job-related exhaustion may transmit (cross over) from dentists to dental nurses and vice versa. We conducted a cross-sectional survey study among 470 Finnish dentist-dental nurse dyads and used moderated structural equation modelling analyses. We found no support for the direct crossover of exhaustion from one work partner to the other. Instead, we found that exhaustion transferred from dentists to dental nurses only when collaboration was frequent and dental nurses perceived the collaboration as friendly or consisting of mutual feedback. In contrast, dentists were not affected by dental nurses' exhaustion. These results indicate that exhaustion can be contagious in work dyads and may be fuelled by positive and frequent interpersonal relationships when the partner who is higher in the hierarchy has high (versus low) levels of exhaustion. Thus, interpersonal and hierarchical relationships among work partners may play an important role in the crossover process. Limitations and implications are mentioned. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Gender impact on the socioprofessional identification of women dentists in Bulgaria.

PubMed

Katrova, Lydia G

2004-07-01

Women comprise 73 percent of all dentists in Bulgaria. Almost all of them started their careers as salaried, and now they are self-employed. The purpose of this study was to show how female dentists in Bulgaria met the challenges of the social and health reforms during the period of transition from totalitarian to democratic rule. A field sociological survey was carried out between October 1996 and June 1997, involving a sample of 842 dentists. The questionnaire was designed to give information on dental demography trends, pattern of participation and practice of female dentists, and their career development. The data were treated statistically using an SPSS package. Results show that for the period 1991-96 women dentists owned more than 50 percent of the newly opened private practices in Bulgaria. They were more interested in improving their qualifications and more successful in obtaining specialty status than male dentists. Dentists in Bulgaria by the late 1990 s, with no gender difference, tend to identify themselves as liberal practitioners within the pluralistic model of dental services delivery. The volume of services delivered and profile of women in professional practice and their social and professional mobility are highly competitive, despite the growing problems of maternity leave coverage and funding to re-enter the profession.

Factors Affecting Dentist Participation in a State Medicaid Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Damiano, Peter C.; And Others

1990-01-01

Telephone interviews with 92 dentists in California identified low fees, denial of payment, and broken appointments by patients as the 3 most important problems with the Medicaid program. Results suggest reasons for the decreasing participation in Medicaid by dentists. (Author/DB)

Understanding Pediatric Dentists' Dental Caries Management Treatment Decisions: A Conjoint Experiment.

PubMed

Kateeb, E T; Warren, J J; Gaeth, G J; Momany, E T; Damiano, P C

2016-04-01

When traditional ranking and rating surveys are used to assess dentists' treatment decisions, the patient's source of payment appears to be of little importance. Therefore, this study used the marketing research tool conjoint analysis to investigate the relative impact of source of payment along with the child's age and cooperativeness on pediatric dentists' willingness to use Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) to restore posterior primary teeth. A conjoint survey was completed by 707 pediatric dentists. Three factors (age of the child, cooperativeness, type of insurance) were varied across 3 levels to create 9 patient scenarios. The relative weights that dentists placed on these factors in the restorative treatment decision process were determined by conjoint analysis. "Cooperativeness" (52%) was the most important factor, "age of the child" (26%) the second-most important factor, followed by "insurance status of the child" (22%). For the third factor, insurance, pediatric dentists were least willing to use ART with publicly insured children (-0.082), and this was significantly different from their willingness to use ART with uninsured children (0.010) but not significantly different than their willingness to use ART for children with private insurance (0.073). Unlike traditional ranking and rating tools, conjoint analysis found that the insurance status of the patient appeared to be an important factor in dentists' decisions about different restorative treatment options. When pediatric dentists were forced to make tradeoffs among different patients' factors, they were most willing to use ART technique with young, uncooperative patients when they had no insurance. Knowledge Transfer Statement : The present study suggests the feasibility of using techniques borrowed from marketing research, such as conjoint analysis, to understand dentists' restorative treatment decisions. Results of this study demonstrate pediatric dentists' willingness to use a particular

The nursing shortage revisioning the future.

PubMed

Purnell, M J; Horner, D; Gonzalez, J; Westman, N

2001-04-01

A severe shortage of nurses is being experienced nationally and globally. In South Florida, one of the most severely impacted regions in the world, a group of healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and nursing organizations formed the Nursing Shortage Consortium to combat the nursing shortage. Strategic efforts to recruit and retain nurses are underway, with a focus on nurturing interest among young people and increasing opportunities to stimulate their interest, to increase the supply of appropriately prepared professional nurses.

Neck and upper extremity symptoms among male dentists and pharmacists.

PubMed

Aminian, Omid; Alemohammad, Zahra Banafsheh; Hosseini, Mohammad Hashem

2015-01-01

There are many studies discussed about musculoskeletal disorders in dentists, but most of them do not have a control group. The aim of this study was to assess neck and upper limb symptoms in male dentists in comparison with pharmacists. In this cross-sectional study, 252 male general dentists compared with 188 male general pharmacists with Standardized Nordic Questionnaire. Subjects were at least one year in clinical practice after becoming qualified. The data were analyzed using a series of univariate and multivariate analysis. Having at least one neck or upper extremity symptom in the past 12 months (OR = 3.2, P< 0.001) was reported by 76.2% of the male dentists and 50.0% of the male pharmacists In logistic regression analyses, with adjustments for occupation, age, body mass index, smoking, working years and weekly work hours, there was a significant association between dentistry and 12-month period prevalence symptoms of neck (OR = 2.136), shoulder (OR = 2.059) and elbow (OR = 4.167). Second logistic regression model in male dentists indicated that working years was negatively related to self-reported symptoms of neck, shoulder and hand. Male dentists are at risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders in the neck and upper extremities more than male pharmacists.

Drug shortages: the cycle of quantity and quality.

PubMed

Kweder, S L; Dill, S

2013-03-01

Shortages of pharmaceutical drugs pose a serious and growing threat to public health. Although the number of drugs in shortage in the United States in any given year is very small, the number of prescription drug shortages in the country nearly tripled between 2005 and 2010. Drug shortages are becoming more severe as well as more frequent. The affected medicines include cancer treatments, anesthesia drugs, and other drugs that are critical to the treatment and prevention of serious diseases and life-threatening conditions. (The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, Executive Order 13588-Reducing Prescription Drug Shortages (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/10/31/executive-order-reducing-prescription-drug-shortages)).

Is advertising ethical for dentists? An insight into the Indian scenario

PubMed Central

Dable, Rajani A; Prasanth, MA; Singh, Shailendra B; Nazirkar, Girish S

2011-01-01

Background The question of whether Indian dentists should advertise their services is an important issue with significant ethical and professional implications. Individual dentists may feel the need to advertise in order to establish or grow a dental practice, but what effect does this have on the standing of the profession as a whole? As health care professionals are bound by a code of ethics, should dentists be allowed to advertise? Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes of Indian dentists to the issue of advertising. It also aims to explore whether advertising could have positive benefits (to increase the community’s awareness of dental health care, encourage better quality dental services, decrease unemployment in the industry, and help consumers choose a dentist), or, on the contrary, whether advertising could have a negative impact by undermining the reputation of the industry, in particular the definition of dentistry as a medical profession. Methods Of 1500 eligible participants, 423 dentists (28.2%) participated in the study. The questionnaire, comprising 14 questions, was provided to the respondents. The data was collected and analyzed by applying the “Chi-squared test” of association and the “Z test” of difference between two proportions at 5% and 1% levels of significance (ie, P = 0.05 and P = 0.01). Results A majority of 56.02% of the respondents were in favor of dentists advertising their services. The majority of dentists in favor of advertising were in the youngest age group (22–30 years, 75.86%). The older age groups were more likely to agree and comply with the government ban on advertising by dentists. Conclusion While Indian culture and law does not regard advertising as ethical, in recent years there has been a change in the attitudes of dental professionals to the issue of advertising. PMID:22279413

Is advertising ethical for dentists? An insight into the Indian scenario.

PubMed

Dable, Rajani A; Prasanth, Ma; Singh, Shailendra B; Nazirkar, Girish S

2011-01-01

The question of whether Indian dentists should advertise their services is an important issue with significant ethical and professional implications. Individual dentists may feel the need to advertise in order to establish or grow a dental practice, but what effect does this have on the standing of the profession as a whole? As health care professionals are bound by a code of ethics, should dentists be allowed to advertise? The purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes of Indian dentists to the issue of advertising. It also aims to explore whether advertising could have positive benefits (to increase the community's awareness of dental health care, encourage better quality dental services, decrease unemployment in the industry, and help consumers choose a dentist), or, on the contrary, whether advertising could have a negative impact by undermining the reputation of the industry, in particular the definition of dentistry as a medical profession. Of 1500 eligible participants, 423 dentists (28.2%) participated in the study. The questionnaire, comprising 14 questions, was provided to the respondents. The data was collected and analyzed by applying the "Chi-squared test" of association and the "Z test" of difference between two proportions at 5% and 1% levels of significance (ie, P = 0.05 and P = 0.01). A majority of 56.02% of the respondents were in favor of dentists advertising their services. The majority of dentists in favor of advertising were in the youngest age group (22-30 years, 75.86%). The older age groups were more likely to agree and comply with the government ban on advertising by dentists. While Indian culture and law does not regard advertising as ethical, in recent years there has been a change in the attitudes of dental professionals to the issue of advertising.

Voices in Education: Teacher Shortage--Myth or Reality?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Linda E.; Mulvihill, Thalia M.

2016-01-01

It appears that a teacher shortage is on the rise in the nation's schools. This is not a new issue or concern; teacher shortages have occurred off and on for some time for a variety of reasons. But this particular shortage of qualified teachers does appear to be important and different than previously reported shortages ("The Washington…

Impact of drug shortages on U.S. health systems.

PubMed

Kaakeh, Rola; Sweet, Burgunda V; Reilly, Cynthia; Bush, Colleen; DeLoach, Sherry; Higgins, Barb; Clark, Angela M; Stevenson, James

2011-10-01

A study was performed to quantify the personnel resources required to manage drug shortages, define the impact of drug shortages on health systems nationwide, and assess the adequacy of information resources available to manage drug shortages. An online survey was sent to the 1322 members of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists who were identified as directors of pharmacy. Survey recipients were asked to identify which of the 30 most recent drug shortages listed affected their health system, to identify actions taken to manage the shortage, and to rate the impact of each shortage. Employees responsible for completing predefined tasks were identified, and the average time spent by each type of employee completing these tasks was estimated. Labor costs associated with managing shortages were calculated. A total of 353 respondents completed the survey, yielding a response rate of 27%. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians spent more time managing drug shortages than did physicians and nurses. There was a significant association between the time spent managing shortages and the size of the institution, the number of shortages managed, and the institution's level of automation. Overall, 70% of the respondents felt that the information resources available to manage drug shortages were not good. The labor costs associated with managing shortages in the United States is an estimated $216 million annually. A survey of directors of pharmacy revealed that labor costs and the time required to manage drug shortages are significant and that current information available to manage drug shortages is considered suboptimal.

76 FR 68295 - Reducing Prescription Drug Shortages

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-03

... Reducing Prescription Drug Shortages By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the... pharmaceutical drugs pose a serious and growing threat to public health. While a very small number of drugs in the United States experience a shortage in any given year, the number of prescription drug shortages...

Applying the International Medical Graduate Program Model to Alleviate the Supply Shortage of Accounting Doctoral Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

HassabElnaby, Hassan R.; Dobrzykowski, David D.; Tran, Oanh Thikie

2012-01-01

Accounting has been faced with a severe shortage in the supply of qualified doctoral faculty. Drawing upon the international mobility of foreign scholars and the spirit of the international medical graduate program, this article suggests a model to fill the demand in accounting doctoral faculty. The underlying assumption of the suggested model is…

Practice patterns among male and female general dentists in a Washington State population.

PubMed

del Aguila, Michael A; Leggott, Penelope J; Robertson, Paul B; Porterfield, Denise L; Felber, Gene D

2005-06-01

Women make up about 14 percent of general dentists in the United States, and the proportion is projected to exceed 29 percent by 2020. The authors obtained dental benefits claims data from the Washington Dental Service (WDS), Seattle, and used them to examine the practice patterns of 265 women and 1,947 men engaged in general dentistry for at least 26 days in 2001. Practice variables of interest included age, days worked, procedures performed and total income from WDS reimbursements and patient copayments. The number, age and sex of patients treated also were obtained. Using productivity data, the authors also estimated the potential impact of an increase in the percentage of female dentists in the state. The authors found no differences between male and female dentists in the number of procedures per patient, income per patient or income per day of work. Frequency distributions of various services were highly similar for both groups. Multiple regression models showed no influence of dentist's sex on total income. However, the mean and median numbers of days worked were about 10 percent lower for female dentists than for male dentists. This difference was consistent with the finding that female dentists treated approximately 10 percent fewer patients, performed about 10 percent fewer procedures and had a combined income of about 10 percent less than that of male dentists. Practice patterns of male and female dentists generally were equivalent in this WDS population. Female and male dentists provided a similar range of services and earned an equal income per patient treated and per day worked. However, women worked fewer days per year than did men, irrespective of age. If the dental work force and practice patterns remain unchanged otherwise, the total number of patients treated per dentist will decrease slightly as women make up an increasing proportion of dentists.

Teacher Shortages: Truth and Consequences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tooredman, Kathryn J.

This paper provides a broad overview of the teacher shortage situation and concludes that shortages may occur during the next 10 years, depending upon the factors of supply and demand. Demand, it appears, will increase until an additional 200,000 teachers will be needed by 1990. The supply of teachers may increase enough to met this demand, but…

Effects of Modeling and Desensitation in Reducing Dentist Phobia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, David W.; Thoresen, Carl E.

1974-01-01

Many persons avoid dentists and dental work. The present study explored the effects of systematic desensitization and social-modeling treatments with placebo and assessment control groups. Modeling was more effective than desensitization as shown by the number of subjects who went to a dentist. (Author)

U.S. vaccine and immune globulin product shortages, 2001-15.

PubMed

Ziesenitz, Victoria C; Mazer-Amirshahi, Maryann; Zocchi, Mark S; Fox, Erin R; May, Larissa S

2017-11-15

Trends in shortages of vaccines and immune globulin products from 2001 through 2015 in the United States are described. Drug shortage data from January 2001 through December 2015 were obtained from the University of Utah Drug Information Service. Shortage data for vaccines and immune globulins were analyzed, focusing on the type of product, reason for shortage, shortage duration, shortages requiring vaccine deferral, and whether the drug was a single-source product. Inclusion of the product into the pediatric vaccination schedule was also noted. Of the 2,080 reported drug shortages, 59 (2.8%) were for vaccines and immune globulin products. Of those, 2 shortages (3%) remained active at the end of the study period. The median shortage duration was 16.8 months. The most common products on shortage were viral vaccines (58%), especially hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, and varicella vaccines (4 shortages each). A vaccine deferral was required for 21 shortages (36%), and single-source products were on shortage 30 times (51%). The most common reason for shortage was manufacturing problems (51%), followed by supply-and-demand issues (7%). Thirty shortages (51%) were for products on the pediatric schedule, with a median duration of 21.7 months. Drug shortages of vaccines and immune globulin products accounted for only 2.8% of reported drug shortages within a 15-year period, but about half of these shortages involved products on the pediatric vaccination schedule, which may have significant public health implications. Copyright © 2017 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in dentists' working practices and job satisfaction.

PubMed

Ayers, Kathryn M S; Thomson, W Murray; Rich, Alison M; Newton, J Timothy

2008-05-01

To describe the working practices and level of job satisfaction of male and female dentists. A nationwide postal survey of all dentists holding an annual practising certificate in New Zealand (response rate 78.1%). The mean number of hours worked per week was 29.1 for female and 36.0 for male dentists. The main reason for part-time practice given by women was caring for children (cited by 67.2%) and for men was personal choice (cited by 63.6%). A greater proportion of females than males were employed on a salary or as an associate in practice rather than owning their own practice. Male dentists were more active in continuing education than females. The mean career satisfaction score for male respondents was 7.6 and for females 7.1 (P<0.001). Relatively more women than men had taken a career break, usually for child rearing. Two-thirds of women and one-third of men planned to retire from dentistry before 60 years of age. Male and female dentists differ in their working patterns and career satisfaction. There is a need for ongoing monitoring of the workforce, particularly as the gender distribution (and societal trends and expectations) continues to change.

Pediatric dentists' job satisfaction: results of a national survey.

PubMed

Bates, Lyndsay F; Buehler, Amy M; Boynton, James R; Majewski, Robert F; Inglehart, Marita R

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine pediatric dentists' level of job satisfaction and to explore which factors (demographic and practice/work/patient characteristics) are related to their satisfaction. Data were collected with mailed surveys from 385 and with web-based surveys from 966 pediatric dentists in the United States. Professional satisfaction was measured with the Professional Satisfaction Scale and the Dentists' Satisfaction Scale. Most respondents would choose dentistry (89 percent) and pediatric dentistry (92 percent) again and would recommend dentistry (85 percent) and pediatric dentistry (83 percent) to their child as a career. Male respondents were more satisfied with income, personal and professional time, staff, and practice management aspects, and female respondents were more satisfied with patient relations. The older the dentists were, the more satisfied they were. Respondents in academia were less stressed and less satisfied with their income than respondents in nonacademic settings. The more time spent in the operatory and the less administrative work, the more satisfied the respondents were. The fewer patients from a lower socioeconomic background they treated, the more satisfied they were. Overall, pediatric dentists have a high level of job satisfaction. Demographic factors and practice/work/patient characteristic are related to job satisfaction.

Dentists' knowledge of occlusal splint therapy for bruxism and temporomandibular joint disorders.

PubMed

Candirli, C; Korkmaz, Y T; Celikoglu, M; Altintas, S H; Coskun, U; Memis, S

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate dentist's approaches to the use of splint therapy for myofascial pain, bruxism, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders and to assessment of treatment modalities. A 12-item questionnaire was developed to determine dentists' knowledge of TMJ disorders and approaches for occlusal splint treatments. The researchers spoke with each dentist included in the study at his/her clinic or by telephone to assess their immediate knowledge and approach to the TMJ disorders. Chi-squared test was performed to analyze the values. The confidence interval was set as 95%. A total of 370 dentists working in Turkey were participated in this study. The most common splint application reason for occlusal splint treatment was bruxism (77.8%) while TMJ pain was very rare (%1.4). The use of hard splint ratios for 0-5 years of professional experience was 57.0%, 42.4.0%, and 26.8% for the experience of 5-15 years and over 15 years groups, respectively (P < 0.001). While the dentists' with sufficient knowledge soft splint application rates were 11.6%, hard splint application rates were 43.4% for the dentists with sufficient knowledge. Occlusion adjustment rate of dentists who practice in all three groups was under 16.0%. The knowledge of the dentists about TMJ disorders and occlusal splint therapy were found to be insufficient. Their knowledge decreased with increasing experience.

The characteristics and distribution of dentist workforce in Saudi Arabia: A descriptive cross-sectional study.

PubMed

AlBaker, Abdulaziz A; Al-Ruthia, Yazed Sulaiman H; AlShehri, Mohammed; Alshuwairikh, Samar

2017-12-01

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has shown steady growth in the dental workforce over the last 20 years. Although the number of dental colleges has significantly increased in the last decade, there is not any study so far that described the status of the licensed dentist workforce in the kingdom. The present study aimed to explore the demographic distribution and professional characteristics of licensed dentist workforce in Saudi Arabia. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study using the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) database to identify the number of licensed dentists in Saudi Arabia as well as their professional and demographic characteristics as of December 2016. The data was categorized based on gender, nationality, dental specialty, health sector, geographic location, and professional rank. The number of licensed dentists working in the kingdom as of December 2016 was 16887 dentists, and the vast majority of them are professionally registered as general dentists (70.27%). The percentage of general dentists among the professionally registered female dentists is significantly higher than their male counterparts (79.71% vs. 64.80%; P  < 0.001). Only 22.08% of the dentists working in the kingdom are Saudi. Most of the dentist workforce in the kingdom are male (61.06%). The mean age of the Saudi dentists is slightly but significantly younger than non-Saudi dentists (37.7 vs. 40.7 years; P  < 0.001). Over 80% of the Saudi dentists are working in the regions of Riyadh, Makkah, and Eastern province. About 66% of the Saudi dentists are working in the public health sector in comparison to only 20.46% of the non-Saudi dentists ( P  < 0.001). Most of the dental care in Saudi Arabia is provided by non-Saudi dentists in both private and public health sectors. With the rising unemployment rate among Saudi dentists, the governmental bodies that are responsible of dental labor market regulations such as the ministries of health, economy and planning

What's different about this nursing shortage?

PubMed

Mee, Cheryl L; Robinson, Eileen

2003-01-01

Driven by unprecedented social and demographic changes, this nursing shortage won't be easily fixed by solutions that worked in the past. Here's what makes this shortage unique- and how you can influence the change shaping your profession.

[Prescription of drugs of systemic use by dentists].

PubMed

Castilho, L S; Paixão, H H; Perini, E

1999-06-01

The study of the prescription pattern of antibacterial and analgesic/antiinflammatory systemic medication by dentists. Observational study based in questionnaires answered by a representative, randomly selected sample of 163 general dentists from the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte, Southeastern Brazil. Some of the topics verified were: the most frequently prescribed drugs in the fortnight prior to the study, the use of generic names of drugs in the prescriptions, attendance at refresher courses on pharmacology, self-assessment of degree of knowledge on pharmacology, the importance given to this subject in the dentist's professional career, and the filling out of the clinical chart and the registration of the drugs prescribed on it. It was observed that the drugs were usually prescribed by their commercial name. There were a trend to prescribe more antiinflamatory than analgesics drugs. A small, but worrying, 13% of dentists didnot fill out the clinical chart for all the patients and 43% of the sample didnot register the drugs prescribed on it. The courses on pharmacology seemed to produce no significant alteration in self valuation as to the degree of knowledge in pharmacology and the use of the generic names of drugs.

Dentists' and Parents' Attitude Toward Nitrous Oxide Use in Kuwait

PubMed Central

Alkandari, Sarah A.; Almousa, Fatemah; Abdulwahab, Mohammad; Boynes, Sean G.

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the attitude of dentists in Kuwait toward the use of nitrous oxide sedation as a behavior management technique (BMT) for pediatric patients and assess their training in nitrous oxide sedation. In addition, we assessed parents' knowledge of and attitude toward the use of nitrous oxide as a BMT for their children. The objective was to determine if nitrous oxide sedation is being provided and utilized as a means to enhance dental care for pediatric patients. A cross-sectional survey was randomly distributed to both groups of interest: parents accompanying their children to the dentist and licensed dentists in Kuwait. Participants had to meet certain inclusion criteria to be included in the survey and had to complete the entire questionnaire to be part of the analysis. A total of 381 parents completed the questionnaires. The majority of parents responded that they were unaware of nitrous oxide sedation and were not aware of it as a BMT (79%). Two thirds of the parent would accept nitrous oxide sedation if recommended by a dentist treating their children. Two hundred and one dentists completed the survey and met the inclusion criteria. The majority (74.5%) of dentists were willing to use nitrous oxide as a BMT. However, only 6% were utilizing nitrous oxide sedation and providing it to their child patient if indicated. The main reasons for this huge gap are lack of facilities/equipment and lack of training as indicated by the dentists. This study showed that parents are accepting nitrous oxide sedation as a BMT for their children. It also showed the willingness of the dentists to provide such BMT to their patients. The lack of training and lack of equipment are the main barriers to providing such service to the patients. More training courses and more facilities should be provided to eliminate such barriers. PMID:26866406

How general dentists could manage a patient with oral lichen planus

PubMed Central

Robledo-Sierra, Jairo

2018-01-01

Background The literature hardly contains information on how patients suffering from oral lichen planus could be managed by dentists. Material and Methods Based on the limited available literature and particularly on the long-term clinical and histopathological experience of one of the authors, suggestions on how dentists could manage patients with oral lichen planus have been put forward. Results: In most cases, the dentist should be able to establish a correct diagnosis. Results In most cases, the dentist should be able to establish a correct diagnosis. Occasionally, the dentist may call upon a specialist, usually an oral medicine specialist or an oral and maxillofacial surgeon for confirmation of the diagnosis, possibly a biopsy procedure, and management of the patient in case of severe symptoms. Proper patient information is of utmost importance in the management. Conclusions General dentists can be expected to manage the majority of patients with oral lichen planus. Some patients may need to be referred for diagnostic purposes to a specialist; this is also the case for the rare patient with severe symptoms, possibly requiring systemic treatment. Key words:Oral mucosal disease, oral lichen planus. PMID:29476684

Medicine shortages--a study of community pharmacies in Finland.

PubMed

Heiskanen, K; Ahonen, R; Karttunen, P; Kanerva, R; Timonen, J

2015-02-01

To explore the frequency, the reasons behind, and the consequences of medicine shortages in Finnish community pharmacies. During the 27-day study period in the autumn of 2013, randomly selected pharmacies reported on medicines that were in short supply from orders made to wholesalers. Altogether 129 (66%, n=195) pharmacies participated in the study, and the study material consisted of 3311 report forms. Of the study pharmacies, 79.8% had medicine shortages daily or almost daily. Medicines in short supply were most commonly medicines that affect the nervous system (30.8%) and the cardiovascular system (17.5%). The reason behind the shortage was reported to the pharmacies in 11.2% of the shortage cases. The medicine shortages caused problems for the pharmacies in 33.0% of the cases. In most cases (67.0%) the medicine shortages did not cause problems for the pharmacies, usually because a substitutable product was available (48.5%). Medicine shortages are common in Finnish community pharmacies. Medicines in short supply were commonly used medicines. The reason behind the shortage was rarely told to the pharmacies. Medicine shortages caused problems for the pharmacies in one-third of all the shortage cases. These shortages may be significant for the customers or the pharmacies, as they cause customer dissatisfaction and increase the workload of the pharmacy staff. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brazilian dentists' attitudes about medical emergencies during dental treatment.

PubMed

Arsati, Franco; Montalli, Victor Angelo; Flório, Flavia Martão; Ramacciato, Juliana Cama; da Cunha, Fernanda Lopes; Cecanho, Rodrigo; de Andrade, Eduardo Dias; Motta, Rogério Heládio Lopes

2010-06-01

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of emergencies in dental practices and the prepared-ness and the training experience in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) of Brazilian dentists in dealing with emergencies. The volunteer participants in the study were 498 Brazilian dentists who were present at the 27th International Congress of Dentistry in São Paulo. The most prevalent emergency was presyncope (reported by 54.20 percent of respondents), followed by orthostatic hypotension (44.37 percent), moderate allergic reactions (16.86 percent), hypertensive crisis (15.06 percent), asthma (15.06 percent), syncope (12.65 percent), angina (6.82 percent), convulsion (6.22 percent), hypoglycemia (5.62 percent), hyperventilation crisis (5.22 percent), choking (2.20 percent), and cerebrovascular accident (0.8 percent). Anaphylaxis, myocardial infarction, and cardiac arrest were the rarest emergencies, reported by only 0.4, 0.2, and 0.2 percent of dentists, respectively. Only 41 percent of the dentists judged themselves capable to diagnose the cause of an emergency during a dental visit. The majority responded that they would be capable of performing initial treatment of presyncope, syncope, orthostatic hypotension, convulsion, and choking. However, most of them felt unable to treat anaphylaxis, myocardial infarction, or cardiac arrest. Further, the majority felt unable to perform CPR or undertake an intravenous injection. It was concluded that the most prevalent medical emergencies in dental practice of Brazilian dentists are presyncope and orthostatic hypotension. The occurrence of life-threatening medical emergencies like anaphylaxis, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, and cerebrovascular accident is rare. Brazilian dentists are not fully prepared to manage medical emergencies and have insufficient experience training in CPR.

Dentist-assistant communication style: perceived gender differences in The Netherlands and Northern Ireland.

PubMed

Gorter, Ronald C; Freeman, Ruth

2005-04-01

To assess communication style differences with the (female) dental assistant, as perceived by male and female dentists. Data were collected from 216 Dutch (male: 99; female: 117) and 261 Northern Irish (male: 135; female: 126) dentists (overall response rate: 60%). Respondents filled in a self-report questionnaire (one follow-up mailing), with 22 items on staff communication style. Using principal component analysis, four distinguishable factors could be extracted: businesslike leadership style (seven items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.87), friendly leadership style (seven items, alpha = 0.87), professional interacting style (four items, alpha = 0.83) and gender interacting style (four items, alpha = 0.83). manova indicated a main effect for gender [F(8,946) = 10.905, P < 0.001] and for country [F(4,474) =4.197, P = 0.002] on the communication style scales. Male dentists, compared with female colleagues, showed higher mean scores on businesslike leadership style and gender interacting style, whereas female dentists showed higher mean scores on friendly leadership style and professional interacting style. Dutch dentists showed higher mean scores on friendly leadership style and professional interacting style than their Northern Irish colleagues. No interaction effect between gender and country was found. Dentist's age and length of assistant's employment (in years) partly explained differences in means. Male and female dentists perceive their communication with the assistant differently; male dentists tend to be influenced by the gender differences, female dentists by striving for friendliness. Some country differences were found. Increasing influx of young female dentists underlines the relevance of this topic in dental education and for future research.

Going to the Dentist

MedlinePlus

... left with a beautiful smile! Dental Words Some words used at the dentist's office might be new to you. Here are a few and what they mean: bacteria — tiny organisms that live on your teeth and are found in plaque cavity — the decayed, or rotten, part ...

[Dentistry and healthcare legislation 11. The dentist and the civil law judge: claims].

PubMed

Brands, W G; van der Ven, J M; Eijkman, M A J

2014-09-01

In contrast to the law governing complaints and to disciplinary law, a civil law judge can sentence dentists to the restoration of all damages to patients. For this to happen, there has to be evidence of damage, responsibility and a causal connection. For the assumption of responsibility as well as a causal connection, an important question is whether a dentist has violated a relevant guideline or protocol. Moreover, dentists are not only responsible for their own mistakes, but also, in principle, for those of their employees. Depending on the situation, dentists can also be held accountable for the mistakes of a dentist who is working in their practice on a self-employed basis. Dutch dentists do not yet have to fear American situations', because damages awarded in The Netherlands are still relatively low.

7 CFR 3431.5 - Solicitation of veterinarian shortage situations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Solicitation of veterinarian shortage situations... Shortage Situations § 3431.5 Solicitation of veterinarian shortage situations. (a) General. The Secretary will follow the procedures described in this part to solicit veterinarian shortage situations as the...

7 CFR 3431.5 - Solicitation of veterinarian shortage situations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Solicitation of veterinarian shortage situations... Shortage Situations § 3431.5 Solicitation of veterinarian shortage situations. (a) General. The Secretary will follow the procedures described in this part to solicit veterinarian shortage situations as the...

7 CFR 3431.5 - Solicitation of veterinarian shortage situations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Solicitation of veterinarian shortage situations... Shortage Situations § 3431.5 Solicitation of veterinarian shortage situations. (a) General. The Secretary will follow the procedures described in this part to solicit veterinarian shortage situations as the...

Understanding the shortage of village doctors in China and solutions under the policy of basic public health service equalization: evidence from Changzhou.

PubMed

Li, Xiaohong; Cochran, Christopher; Lu, Jun; Shen, Jay; Hao, Chao; Wang, Ying; Sun, Mei; Li, Chengyue; Chang, Fengshui; Hao, Mo

2015-01-01

As the most important public health service providers in rural China, village doctors are facing a new challenge of heavier workload resulting from the recent policy of public health service equalization. Studies on the shortage of village doctors, mainly based on the national statistics, have so far been very broad. This study conducted detailed field surveys to identify specific factors of and potential solutions to the shortage in village doctors. Eight hundred forty-four village doctors and 995 health decision makers and providers were surveyed through a questionnaire, and some of them were surveyed by in-depth face-to-face interviews and focus group interviews. Opinions on the shortage in village doctors and the potentially effective approaches to addressing the problem were sought. Some village doctors (51.3%) were at least 50 years old. Some village doctors (92.3%) did not want their children to become a village doctor, and the main reasons were "low salary" and "lack of social security". Village doctors felt that it was difficult to provide all the required public health services. Local residents indicated that they established good relationships with village doctors. Some health decision makers and providers (74.0%) thought that they needed more village doctors. The shortage in village doctors presents a major obstacle toward the realization of China's policy of public health service equalization. The aging of current village doctors exacerbates the problem. Policies and programs are needed to retain the current and attract new village doctors into the workforce. Separate measures are also needed to address disparities in socioeconomic circumstance from village to village. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Analysis of Nigerian dentists' opinion and consequences on expanded function dental auxiliaries.

PubMed

Umanah, A U; Azodo, C

2015-06-01

To examine Nigerian dentists' opinion on expanded function dental auxiliaries. This cross-sectional study of Nigerian dentists attending a dental conference was conducting in 2012 using self-administered questionnaire. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16.0. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The majority of the 82 dentists that participated in this study were male, aged 31-40 years, either specialist or specializing (residents), practiced for < 10 years, teaching hospital and urban practitioners. Of the participants, 22 (26.8%) reported favorable opinion towards expanded duty dental auxiliaries. The mean scores on consequences, of expanded function dental auxiliaries ranked redundancy of dentist as highest. Males and non-specialist significantly reported expanded function dental auxiliaries would lead to redundancy of dentists. Practitioners working in other hospitals other than teaching hospital significantly reported that appropriate legislation are necessary before expansion of duties of the dental auxiliaries can be done. The dentists with favorable opinion significantly reported that expanded duty dental auxiliaries would not cause redundancy of dentist and the task are not too difficult for dental auxiliaries with necessary training but will increase service delivery and efficiency, increase job satisfaction, lead to dental auxiliary specialization with legislation. Data from this study revealed overall unfavorable opinion of Nigerian dentists on the expanded duty dental auxiliaries. However, those with favorable opinion were significantly supportive of expanded function dental auxiliaries. This information would serve as a useful tool for Nigerian oral healthcare policy formulators.

Career changers: dentists who choose to leave private practice.

PubMed

Rice, C D; Hayden, W J; Glaros, A G; Thein, D J

1997-01-01

Some dentists have voluntarily chosen to leave the dental profession despite the considerable time, effort, and financial expenditures involved in their educations. The purpose of this study was to survey the entire population of dentists who had identified themselves as being principally employed in a career outside of clinical practice in the American Dental Association's 1991 Census. A four-page survey was mailed to 654 former dentists, with a total of 237 usable responses (36%). Analysis of major demographic variables showed no significant difference between the survey respondents and the 1992 ADA Survey of Dentists. Major reasons cited by respondents for entering dentistry included professional, financial, and independence factors. Respondents as a group rated their dental school experience as average in degree of difficulty. Clinical dental experience was varied, with a substantially smaller percentage (37%) choosing solo clinical positions than the 1992 ADA Survey of Dentists reported (69%). Reasons for leaving practice included financial, stress, and external regulation concerns. Current careers varied widely, with business, teaching, medicine, and investing being the most common. Respondents ranked their current careers as considerably more favorable on measures of perceived creativity, freedom, belonging, and whether they would choose the same career again. These findings indicate that there was a difference between the perception of a dental career and the reality of clinical practice for the study sample.

How general dentists could manage a patient with oral lichen planus.

PubMed

Robledo-Sierra, J; van der Waal, I

2018-03-01

The literature hardly contains information on how patients suffering from oral lichen planus could be managed by dentists. Based on the limited available literature and particularly on the long-term clinical and histopathological experience of one of the authors, suggestions on how dentists could manage patients with oral lichen planus have been put forward. In most cases, the dentist should be able to establish a correct diagnosis. Occasionally, the dentist may call upon a specialist, usually an oral medicine specialist or an oral and maxillofacial surgeon for confirmation of the diagnosis, possibly a biopsy procedure, and management of the patient in case of severe symptoms. Proper patient information is of utmost importance in the management. General dentists can be expected to manage the majority of patients with oral lichen planus. Some patients may need to be referred for diagnostic purposes to a specialist; this is also the case for the rare patient with severe symptoms, possibly requiring systemic treatment.

[Physician shortage in Japan: the new postgraduate medical education program and physicians as a human medical resource].

PubMed

Nomura, Kyoko

2011-01-01

Japan now faces a serious physician shortage. After introducing the new postgraduate medical education (PGME) system and doctor-to-facility matching system, residents shifted their teaching hospitals from university hospitals to non-university hospitals. Because university hospitals had played a central role in allocating physicians to communities, the decrease in the number of physicians at university hospitals has driven this physician shortage. Japanese policymakers blame the new PGME for exacerbating this physician shortage and have tentatively agreed to reform the PGME to encourage residents to return to university hospitals. However, the PGME system should not be reformed only for political reasons; such a change requires a scientific basis. First, after the introduction of the new PGME, residents showed an improved clinical competence; therefore, it has accomplished its ultimate goal. Second, the residents' satisfaction level in terms of the residency system and clinical skills training was significantly higher at non-university hospitals than at university hospitals. This implies that training conditions at university hospitals are not as good as at non-university hospitals, which explains the decrease in the number of physicians at university hospitals. Third, in 2009, the Japanese government increased the maximum medical school enrollment to mitigate the physician shortage. However, a simple increase does not solve the problem of physician shortage unless it also addresses the problem of physician maldistribution. Fourth, the number of females entering medicine is increasing, and women constituted 30% of newly certified physicians in 2010. In this era of physician shortage, female physicians are highly recommended as a human medical resource.

Practice Patterns of Dentist Anesthesiologists in North America.

PubMed

Young, Andrew S; Fischer, Michael W; Lang, Nicholas S; Cooke, Matthew R

2018-01-01

This study provides trends in the discipline of dental anesthesiology. A questionnaire-based survey was sent to 338 members of the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists to evaluate practice patterns. One focus of the study was modality of sedation/anesthesia used for dentistry in North America. Age, gender, years in practice, and geographic region of practice were also obtained. Data gathered from the returned questionnaires were entered into an Excel spreadsheet and then imported into JMP Statistical Discovery Software (v12.2 Pro) for descriptive analysis. A total of 112 surveys were completed electronically and 102 surveys were returned via post, for a total response rate of 63.3% ( N = 214). Data from this survey suggested a wide variation of therapeutic practices among dentist anesthesiologists in North America. Of the surveyed dentist anesthesiologists, 58.7% (SE = 4.2%) practice as mobile providers, 32.2% (SE = 3.1%) provide care in an academic environment, and 27.7% (SE = 2.8%) function as operator/anesthetists. The majority of anesthesia is provided for pediatric dentistry (47.0%, SE = 4.2%), oral and maxillofacial surgery (18.5%, SE = 3.9%), and special needs (16.7%, SE = 3.6%). Open-airway (58.7%, SE = 5.5%) sedation/anesthesia was the preferred modality of delivery, compared with the use of advanced airway (41.3%, SE = 4.6%). The demographics show diverse practice patterns of dentist anesthesiologists in multiple regions of the continent. Despite concerns regarding specialty recognition, reimbursement difficulties, and competition from alternative anesthesia providers, the overall perceptions of dentist anesthesiologists and the future of the field seem largely favorable.

Evaluation of words in child-paediatric dentist communication.

PubMed

Caglar, K; Sandalli, N; Kirant, B; Kuscu, O O

2015-09-01

Aim of the present study is to demonstrate which words are widely used by children and a paediatric dentist during different dental procedures in conjunction with behaviour shaping in paediatric dentistry. Twenty children aged between 3.5 and 10.5 (10 F, 10 M) visiting the clinic of Yeditepe University were enrolled for the study. An audio recorder was hidden in the operatory room, the paediatric dentist was blind. The procedure was randomised as for each child only one appointment was recorded (one patient-one appointment-one procedure). Age, gender, appointment type, details of procedure performed were recorded. At the end of every session, records were investigated regarding verbal communication. The paediatric dentist used a total of 5,005 words during the trial with minimum of 13 and max of 518 words in a session (mean 211.8 ± 153.1). There were no significant differences in the words used by the child and the practitioner regarding gender, session, and duration of being acquainted with (p>0.05). Regarding age groups, preschoolers (3.5-6 yrs old) significantly used more words than the schoolers (7- 10.5 yrs old) (p<0.05). Paediatric dentists should be careful and selective in communication with children as well as using an age-appropriate language.

Dentists with extended skills: the challenge of innovation.

PubMed

Al-Haboubi, M; Eliyas, S; Briggs, P F A; Jones, E; Rayan, R R; Gallagher, J E

2014-08-01

The aim was to obtain stakeholders' views on the former London Deanery's joint educational service development initiative to train dentists with a special interest (DwSIs) in endodontics in conjunction with the National Health Services (NHS) and examine the models of care provided. A convergent parallel mixed methods design including audit of four different models of care, semi-structured interviews of a range of key stakeholders (including the DwSI trainees) and questionnaire surveys of patients and primary care dentists. Eight dentists treated over 1,600 endodontic cases of moderate complexity over a two year training period. A retrospective audit of four schemes suggested that first molars were the most commonly treated tooth (57%; n = 341). Patients who received care in the latter stages of the initiative were 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with the service (89%; n = 98). Most dental practitioners agreed that having access to such services would support the care of their patients (89%; n = 215) with 88%; (n = 214) supporting the view that DwSIs should accept referrals from outside of their practice. This initiative, developed to provide endodontic care of medium complexity in a primary care setting, received wide support from stakeholders including patients and primary care dentists. The implications for care pathways, commissioning and further research are discussed.

Malaysian government dentists' experience, willingness and barriers in providing domiciliary care for elderly people.

PubMed

Othman, Akmal Aida; Yusof, Zamros; Saub, Roslan

2014-06-01

To assess Malaysian government dentists' experience, willingness and barriers in providing domiciliary care for elderly people. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered postal questionnaire targeting government dentists working in the Ministry of Health in Peninsular Malaysia. Seven hundred and eleven out of 962 dentists responded with a response rate of 74.0%. Only 36.1% of the dentists had experience in providing domiciliary care for elderly people in the past 2 years with mean number of visit per year of 1. Younger dentists below the age of 30 and those with confidence in providing the service were the most willing to undertake domiciliary care for elderly patients (OR=13.5, p<0.05). The 3 most reported barriers were patient's complex medical history (74.1%), patient's poor attitude towards oral health service (67.5%), and dentist's unfavourable working condition (64.4%). The majority of Malaysian government dentists had not been involved in providing domiciliary care for elderly patients. Apart from overcoming the barriers, other recommendations include improving undergraduate dental education, education for elderly people and carers, improving dentist's working condition, and introducing domiciliary financial incentive for dentist. © 2012 The Gerodontology Society and John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Medicine shortages: a commentary on causes and mitigation strategies.

PubMed

Iyengar, Swathi; Hedman, Lisa; Forte, Gilles; Hill, Suzanne

2016-09-29

Shortages of medicines and vaccines have been reported in countries of all income levels in recent years. Shortages can result from one or multiple causes, including shortages of raw materials, manufacturing capacity problems, industry consolidation, marketing practices, and procurement and supply chain management. Existing approaches to mitigate shortages include advance notice systems managed through medicine regulatory authorities, special programmes that track medicines, and interventions to improve efficiency of the medicine supply chain. Redistribution of supplies at the national level can mitigate some shortages in the short term. International redistribution and exceptional regulatory approvals may be used in limited circumstances, with the understanding that such approaches are complex and may introduce cost and quality risks. If it is necessary to prioritise patients to receive a medicine that is in shortage, evidence-based practice should be used to ensure optimal allocation. Important steps in reducing medicine shortages and their impact include identifying medicines that are most at risk, developing reporting systems to share information on current and emerging shortages, and improving data from medicine supply chains.

Finnish Dentists Find Smoking Cessation Important but Seldom Offer Practical Support for Their Patients.

PubMed

Grönholm, A; Litkey, D; Jokelainen, J; Keto, J; Pöyry, M; Linden, K; Heikkinen, A M

2017-12-01

To investigate Finnish dentists' smoking cessation related attitudes, consultation practices and familiarity with the local treatment guideline on smoking cessation. An online questionnaire was sent to 1740 dentists, which corresponds to 39% of dentists in Finland. A total of 456 dentists responded (response rate 26%), of whom 435 (95%) were clinicians. The dentists' smoking cessation practices were also compared to ones reported in a previous study in Finnish physicians. Dentists found smoking cessation important and often discussed and recommended quitting to the patients, but concrete withdrawal actions were seldom provided. The local treatment guideline on smoking cessation was actively utilized by 36% of the dentists. Adherence to the guideline was associated with higher rates of smoking cessation activities and success in them. Smoking cessation activity among dentists was significantly lower than in Finnish physicians. In accordance with the literature, among dentists, the most common barriers for smoking cessation were lack of time (44%) and education (42%). Although smoking cessation is discussed with patients, dentists are less active in taking concrete actions to support the patient on withdrawal. Adherence to the local treatment guideline was associated with better capabilities in dealing with tobacco withdrawal and a more active role in smoking cessation. The results suggest that more education on the local smoking cessation treatment guideline and cessation intervention is needed in order to overcome the remaining barriers to promoting effective smoking cessation in dental practice. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Dental School of Graduation in Relation to Dentist Location.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Donald W.; And Others

1979-01-01

A statistical study is presented of the 1976 location, by region and state, of the active civilian dentists of the United States in relation to the dental schools from which they graduated. A master matrix table shows state-by-state distribution of the graduates of each school and, conversely, where each state obtained its dentists. (Author/JMD)

Causes of drug shortages in the legal pharmaceutical framework.

PubMed

De Weerdt, Elfi; Simoens, Steven; Hombroeckx, Luc; Casteels, Minne; Huys, Isabelle

2015-03-01

Different causes of drug shortages can be linked to the pharmaceutical legal framework, such as: parallel trade, quality requirements, economic decisions to suspend or cease production, etc. However until now no in-depth study of the different regulations affecting drug shortages is available. The aim of this paper is to provide an analysis of relevant legal and regulatory measures in the European pharmaceutical framework which influence drug shortages. Different European and national legislations governing human medicinal products were analyzed (e.g. Directive 2001/83/EC and Directive 2011/62/EU), supplemented with literature studies. For patented drugs, external price referencing may encompass the largest impact on drug shortages. For generic medicines, internal or external reference pricing, tendering as well as price capping may affect drug shortages. Manufacturing/quality requirements also contribute to drug shortages, since non-compliance leads to recalls. The influence of parallel trade on drug shortages is still rather disputable. Price and quality regulations are both important causes of drug shortages or drug unavailability. It can be concluded that there is room for improvement in the pharmaceutical legal framework within the lines drawn by the EU to mitigate drug shortages. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Drug shortage: determinants, consequences and management].

PubMed

Reis, Adriano Max Moreira; Perini, Edson

2008-04-01

The present study analyzes drug shortage as a problem reaching beyond the logistic aspect of the health field and discusses its consequences with respect to quality, safety and cost of health care delivery. The pharmaceutical supply chain and the factors that determine the distribution and availability of drugs are discussed. The contribution of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee in preventing and managing drug shortage in health institutions is stressed and measures for drug shortage management are suggested. Finally it is emphasized that drugs should be considered health products rather than consumer goods and as such be given a different treatment by the supply chain.

More Rhode Island Adults Have Dental Coverage After the Medicaid Expansion: Did More Adults Receive Dental Services? Did More Dentists Provide Services?

PubMed

Zwetchkenbaum, Samuel; Oh, Junhie

2017-10-02

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion since 2014, 68,000 more adults under age 65 years were enrolled in Rhode Island Medicaid as of December 2015, a 78% increase from 2013 enrollment. This report assesses changes in dental utilization associated with this expansion. Medicaid enrollment and dental claims for calendar years 2012-2015 were extracted from the RI Medicaid Management Information System. Among adults aged 18-64 years, annual numbers and percentages of Medicaid enrollees who received any dental service were summarized. Additionally, dental service claims were assessed by provider type (private practice or health center). Although 15,000 more adults utilized dental services by the end of 2015, the annual percentage of Medicaid enrollees who received any dental services decreased over the reporting periods, compared to pre-ACA years (2012-13: 39%, 2014: 35%, 2015: 32%). From 2012 to 2015, dental patient increases in community health centers were larger than in private dental offices (78% vs. 34%). Contrary to the Medicaid population increase, the number of dentists that submitted Medicaid claims decreased, particularly among dentists in private dental offices; the percentage of RI private dentists who provided any dental service to adult Medicaid enrollees decreased from 29% in 2012 to 21% in 2015. Implementation of Medicaid expansion has played a critical role in increasing the number of Rhode Islanders with dental coverage, particularly among low-income adults under age 65. However, policymakers must address the persistent and worsening shortage of dental providers that accept Medicaid to provide a more accessible source of oral healthcare for all Rhode Islanders. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2017-10.asp].

Skills Shortages in Europe. IRDAC Opinion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Commission of the European Communities, Brussels (Belgium). Industrial Research and Development Advisory Committee.

In 1989, the Industrial Research and Development Advisory Committee (IRDAC) of the European Community established a Working Party on education and training issues relevant to industry. A subgroup on skill shortages considered the issue from the European and macro-economic point of view. It examined such skills shortages issues as demographic…

Drugs, money, and power: the Canadian drug shortage.

PubMed

Kaposy, Chris

2014-03-01

This article describes the shortage of generic injectable medications in Canada that affected hospitals in 2012. It traces the events leading up to the drug shortage, the causes of the shortage, and the responses by health administrators, pharmacists, and ethicists. The article argues that generic drug shortages are an ethical problem because health care organizations and governments have an obligation to avoid exposing patients to resource scarcity. The article also discusses some options governments could pursue in order to secure the drug supply and thereby fulfill their ethical obligations.

Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of AIDS Education Programs for Dentists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerbert, Barbara; And Others

1991-01-01

An office-based continuing education program on acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) for dentists is described, including needs assessment, model development, local piloting, national implementation with 119 dentists, and evaluation phases. Program evaluation indicated an improvement in risk perception, knowledge, and practice resulted, but…

Screening and referral of oral mucosal pathology: a check-up of Australian dentists.

PubMed

Allen, K; Farah, C S

2015-03-01

Oral squamous cell carcinomas and potentially malignant oral disorders can be detected early by visually inspecting the oral soft tissues. This study aimed to determine Australian dentists' opinions and practices regarding oral mucosal screening, referral and oral cancer prevention. Nine hundred and ninety-nine randomly selected general dentists were mailed a questionnaire. The questionnaire queried practitioners' opinions and perceptions of oral mucosal screening, their referral practices and their beliefs regarding detection and prevention of oral cancer. A total of n=640 individuals responded, yielding a response rate of 70.2%. Most Australian dentists reported to routinely perform oral mucosal screening. Lack of training, confidence, time and financial incentives were seen as barriers to performing mucosal screening to at least some degree by participants in this study. Most dentists manage referrals for oral mucosal pathology appropriately; however, only about half believe in following up with referred patients. Only half of dentists surveyed believed that they could influence a patient to quit smoking. Australian dentists place importance on oral mucosal screening. Some changes to dental education and training could be made to further improve confidence and ability of dentists in detecting and referring oral mucosal pathology. © 2015 Australian Dental Association.

The Use of Restorative Materials in Primary Molars among Pediatric Dentists in Israel.

PubMed

Blumer, Sigalit; Peretz, Benjamin; Ratson, Tal

To assess the current choice of various restoration materials among Israeli pediatric dentists according to seniority and specialty. Participating dentists completed a 23-item questionnaire on their qualifications, type of practice and preference of restorative material. Seventy-five dentists (average age 46.27±12.6 years, 58 females) participated. Forty-one were specialist pediatric dentists and 34 were general practitioners. Amalgam was preferred by 49.3%, followed by composite (41.3%), glass ionomer cement (5.3%) and compomer (4%). Only 13.3% of the dentists thought amalgam bears environmental and health hazards, compared to 49.3% for composite. Satisfaction was high for amalgam and composite, less for glass ionomer cements and least for compomer. General practitioners preferred amalgam (70.6%) while pediatric dentists preferred composite (51.2%), P < 0.003. Amalgam and composite were the materials of choice among the participating Israeli dentists. Most of them (86.7%) responded that amalgam does not possess any health issues. Their satisfaction with the restoration materials was highest for amalgam and composite, a choice significantly affected by whether they were in general practice (amalgam) or specialized in pediatric dentistry (composite).

Perception of Saudi dentists and lay people to altered smile esthetics.

PubMed

Talic, Nabeel; Alomar, Samar; Almaidhan, Asma

2013-01-01

To evaluate and compare the perceptions of Saudi dentists and lay people to altered smile features. Thirty-six digital smile photographs with altered features were used. Altered features included the following: crown length, width, gingival level of the lateral incisors, gingival display, midline diastema, and upper midline shift. The photographs were presented to a sample of 30 dentists and 30 lay people with equal gender distribution. Each participant rated each picture with a visual analogue scale, which ranged from 0 (very unattractive) to 100 (very attractive). Dentists were more critical than lay people when evaluating symmetrical crown length discrepancies. Compared to lay people, Saudi dentists gave lower ratings to a crown length discrepancy of >2 mm (P < 0.001), crown width discrepancy of ⩾2 mm (P < 0.05), change in gingiva to lip distance of ⩾2 mm (P < 0.01), and midline deviation of >1 mm (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between dentists and lay people towards alterations in the gingival level of the lateral incisors or towards a space between the central incisors. No significant sex difference was seen across the groups. In this sample, Saudi dentists gave significantly lower attractiveness scores to crown length and crown width discrepancies, midline deviations, and changes in gingiva to lip distance compared to Saudi lay people.

Dentist Supply and Children’s Oral Health in the United States

PubMed Central

Guarnizo-Herreño, Carol C.

2014-01-01

Objectives. We evaluated the relationship between dentist supply and children’s oral health and explored heterogeneity by children’s age and urbanicity. Methods. We obtained data from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health (> 27 000 children aged 1–10 years; > 23 000 children aged 11–17 years). We estimated the association between state-level dentist supply and multiple measures of children’s oral health using regression analysis adjusting for several child, family, and population-level characteristics. Results. Dentist supply was significantly related to better oral health outcomes among children aged 1 to 10 years. The odds of decay and bleeding gums were lower by more than 50% (odds ratio [OR] = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.23, 0.95) and 80% (OR = 0.18; 95% CI = 0.05, 0.76), respectively, with an additional dentist per 1000 population. The odds of a worse maternal rating of child’s dental health on a 5-category scale from poor to excellent were lower by about 50% in this age group with an additional dentist per 1000 population (OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.29, 0.91). We observed associations only for children in urban settings. Conclusions. Dentist supply is associated with improved oral health for younger children in urban settings. PMID:25122013

Projections for antiinfective drug shortages and time to actual resolution.

PubMed

McLaughlin, Milena M; Pentoney, Zachary; Skoglund, Erik; Scheetz, Marc H

2014-12-01

The results of a national study of projected versus actual times to resolution of temporary U.S. shortages of antiinfective drugs are presented. Descriptive data on antiinfective drug shortages, including differences between manufacturer-estimated and actual times to shortage resolution, were collected over a one-year period via regular monitoring of the websites of ASHP and the Food and Drug Administration. Inventory data from one large hospital in the Midwest were collected in order to characterize realized shortages (i.e., those for which mitigation was required). During the study period, there were 47 transient shortages of antiinfective medications involving 381 unique products or formulations, of which 40% (n = 19) were emergent shortages. Generic-only and brand-only medications accounted for 53% (n = 25) and 21% (n = 10) of the evaluated shortages, respectively; the median shortage duration was 40 days (interquartile range [IQR], 22-91 days). The reasons for shortages most frequently cited by manufacturers were product or formulation discontinuation (21%), increased demand (12%), and raw material shortfalls (8%). Some shortages were resolved sooner than originally projected, but overall, actual shortage durations exceeded manufacturer-projected durations by a median of 17 days (IQR, 0-52.5 days). Ten realized shortages occurred at the hospital study site, compelling the antimicrobial stewardship team to recommend alternative therapies or restrict the use of drugs in short supply. The actual durations of evaluated antiinfective drug shortages during the study period were longer than the manufacturer-projected durations by a median of 17 days. Copyright © 2014 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

Where are the food animal veterinarian shortage areas anyway?

PubMed

Wang, Tong; Hennessy, David A; O'Connor, Annette M

2012-05-01

In 2010 the United States implemented the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) to address perceived regional shortages in certain veterinary occupations, including food animal practice. With county as the unit of analysis, this paper describes a pair of models to evaluate factors associated with being designated a private practice shortage area in 2010. One model is used to explain food animal veterinarian location choices so as to provide an objective evaluation of comparative shortage. The other model seeks to explain the counties chosen as shortage areas. Model results are then used to evaluate the program. On the whole the program appears to perform quite well. For several states, however, VMLRP shortage designations are inconsistent with the food animal veterinarian location model. Comparative shortage is generally more severe in states that have no VMLRP designated private practice shortage counties than in states that do. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contribution of Dentist Anesthesiologists to Dental Anesthesiology Research

PubMed Central

Ganzberg, Steven; Rashid, Robert G.; Davidian, Edward

2011-01-01

In order to determine if dentist anesthesiologists (DAs) actively contribute to research in the field of anesthesiology, and thus contribute new knowledge to the field, an extensive literature search was accomplished. DAs make up only 1.5% of dentists who actively contribute to anesthesia research but account for 10% of publications. To determine if the impact of DA research was similar to the American Dental Association (ADA) recognized specialties, h-indices of noted researchers in other specialties were compared to the h-indices of noted DA researchers. The results show that the impact of top DA researchers in dental anesthesiology is similar to the impact of top dental specialty researchers, despite lack of academic departments in dental schools where a large percentage of dental research is completed. Dentist anesthesiologists actively contribute to the research in anesthesiology for dentistry and thus, actively contribute to new knowledge in the field. PMID:21410360

Oral Cancer Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices among Dentists in Khartoum State, Sudan.

PubMed

Ahmed, Nada H M; Naidoo, Sudeshni

2017-11-18

The dental professions hold an important responsibility in the control of oral cancer and the early diagnosis highly depends on their knowledge. The present study was developed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of dentists in Khartoum State regarding oral cancer prevention and early detection. An administered questionnaire was structured and sent to all licensed 130 dentists working in public dental clinics in Khartoum State. Responses to the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics. Although the majority of the dentists were knowledgeable about the major risk factors of oral cancer, more than half of the dentists reported they do not carry out any special examination to detect oral cancer in age 40 and above in asymptomatic patients. Dentists indicated their lack of training as the main barrier for conducting a comprehensive oral cancer examination. Interestingly, the vast majority of the dentists express their interest to have further oral cancer educational and training sessions. The findings of the present study suggested strongly that educational and training interventions are necessary to enhance preventive measures which may lead to reduce mortality and morbidity from oral cancer.

Stress and professional burnout among newly graduated dentists

PubMed Central

Kulkarni, Suhas; Dagli, Namrata; Duraiswamy, Prabu; Desai, Harshit; Vyas, Himanshu; Baroudi, Kusai

2016-01-01

Background: Dentists encounter numerous professional stressful situations, beginning from education to day-to-day practice. The resulting stress tends to have a negative impact on their personal as well as professional lives. Objectives: To measure daily burnout, and to investigate the extent of expectations from dental career and the feeling of being unqualified new dental practitioner. Materials and Methods: A close-ended questionnaire, i.e., “the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory,” was utilized for evaluation. A total of 121 dentists with an experience ranging between 6 months and 5 years were included. The period was considered initiating from graduation to dental practicing in urban or rural areas. Ninety-seven dentists replied with filled questionnaires (80.16%). The multivariant analysis was done using SPSS 11.0 ver. (Chicago, USA). Results: Using measures analysis, the mean scores for dentists on the basis of age and sex (n = 97) were calculated. The factors most commonly considered responsible for professional burnout were emotional exhaustion (39.27%), frustrations (47.83%), feeling worn out at the end of the day (35.05%), feeling worn out at the end of the working day (46.80%), exhaustion in the morning at the thought of another day at work (35.05%), feeling that every working hour is tiring (46.80%), less energy and less time for family and friends (47.83%). The most common cause for stress was professional burnout that was recorded commonly in females in the age range of 26–28 years. Conclusions: Dentists are more prone for professional burnout, anxiety, and depression. The main reason for this is the nature of their practice and their personality traits, especially while pursuing dentistry as a carrier. Stress may lead to negative impact on dentists’ personal as well as professional lives. PMID:28032045

The Post-Amalgam Era: Norwegian Dentists' Experiences with Composite Resins and Repair of Defective Amalgam Restorations.

PubMed

Kopperud, Simen E; Staxrud, Frode; Espelid, Ivar; Tveit, Anne Bjørg

2016-04-22

Amalgam was banned as a dental restorative material in Norway in 2008 due to environmental considerations. An electronic questionnaire was sent to all dentists in the member register of the Norwegian Dental Association (NTF) one year later, to evaluate dentists' satisfaction with alternative restorative materials and to explore dentists' treatment choices of fractured amalgam restorations. Replies were obtained from 61.3%. Composite was the preferred restorative material among 99.1% of the dentists. Secondary caries was the most commonly reported cause of failure (72.7%), followed by restoration fractures (25.1%). Longevity of Class II restorations was estimated to be ≥10 years by 45.8% of the dentists, but 71.2% expected even better longevity if the restoration was made with amalgam. Repair using composite was suggested by 24.9% of the dentists in an amalgam restoration with a fractured cusp. Repair was more often proposed among young dentists (p < 0.01), employees in the Public Dental Service (PDS) (p < 0.01) and dentists working in counties with low dentist density (p = 0.03). There was a tendency towards choosing minimally invasive treatment among dentists who also avoided operative treatment of early approximal lesions (p < 0.01). Norwegian dentists showed positive attitudes towards composite as a restorative material. Most dentists chose minimally- or medium invasive approaches when restoring fractured amalgam restorations.

A survey of Hong Kong dentists' attitudes towards advertising.

PubMed

Newsome, P R; Sun, D Y; Walters, R P

2001-12-01

To determine the attitudes of dental practitioners in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the Peoples' Republic of China towards advertising of dental services by members of the profession, a practice that is currently not permitted by legislation. Self-completion questionnaires were mailed to 400 members of the Hong Kong Dental Association. In addition to being presented with a number of closed questions, respondents were invited to expand on their answers in a more qualitative, open-ended manner. 271 replies were received, representing a response rate of 68%. Respondents were largely against a move towards any deregulation which would result in dentists being allowed to advertise their services in the SAR (57.9% against, 28.0% for), this despite a high proportion of respondents reporting that, in their opinion, the Hong Kong public do not know enough about the services provided by dentists in the SAR (69.7%). Opinions amongst Hong Kong dentists are divided with a majority feeling that a move to allow advertising would not benefit either the public or the profession. There is, however, a significant proportion of dentists who feel that there is a need for such deregulation.

The Search for a Profile of Aptitudes That Characterize Dentists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simon, James F.; Chambers, David W.

1992-01-01

An unsuccessful attempt to develop a standard battery of aptitude measures to distinguish practicing dentists is reinterpreted. A sample of 116 dentists showed few differences from the norm group on 22 potential predictors, with some differences counterintuitive. It is concluded that broad conceptualization of characteristics required to complete…

Knowledge of Dentists on the Management of Tooth Avulsion Injuries in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

PubMed

Menezes, Mariana Cezário; Carvalho, Ricardo G; Accorsi-Mendonça, Thais; De-Deus, Gustavo; Moreira, Edson J L; Silva, Emmanuel J N L

2015-01-01

To evaluate dentists' professional experience and knowledge of emergency management of tooth avulsion injuries in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A total of 100 questionnaires were evaluated. The first part of the questionnaire consisted of questions regarding personal information. The second part evaluated dentists' knowledge of emergency management in cases of dental avulsion. The responses for each question were counted and expressed as percentages. All dentists had a college degree or above. Only three dentists had a Master's or PhD degree. Most of the dentists (94.5%) considered time and storage media important for the prognosis of avulsed teeth. However, the dentists did not show consistent responses about the adequate time and ideal storage media to transport avulsed teeth. The study highlighted Brazilian dentists' need for continuing education in order to improve current knowledge in emergency management of avulsed teeth.

Dentist's distress in the management of chronic pain control

PubMed Central

Yokoyama, Yoko; Kakudate, Naoki; Sumida, Futoshi; Matsumoto, Yuki; Gordan, Valeria V.; Gilbert, Gregg H.

2018-01-01

Abstract We aimed to obtain greater understanding of dentists’ distress when they diagnose and treat patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD), and to explore ways in which TMD can be better treated. We conducted a cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire survey of dentists (n = 148). Dentists were queried using an open-ended questionnaire about distress they experienced when treating patients with TMD. Survey responses were analyzed using mixed methods. Associations between specific dentist and patient characteristics and types of distress were analyzed by one way analysis of variance and residual analysis. One hundred thirteen clinicians responded to the questionnaire, giving a 76% response rate. Thematic analysis identified 6 major themes: difficulty in predicting therapeutic effect and prognosis; difficulty in diagnosis; difficulty in the decision about whether to do occlusal adjustment; difficulty in specifying a cause; difficulty in communicating with patients and mental factors; and health insurance system barriers. Clinicians who reported difficulty in deciding whether to do occlusal adjustment saw significantly more patients who experienced shoulder stiffness and headache (P = .008 and P = .022, respectively). Dentists’ knowledge of TMD guidelines was associated with a lower percentage of difficulty in predicting therapeutic effect and prognosis (residual analysis; P = .010). These findings provide important insights into clinician's perception of difficulties with patients experiencing TMD-related pain. Knowledge of the existence of TMD clinical practice guidelines may lower dentist distress, particularly with regard to prognosis. Further studies are needed to decrease dentist's distress and to overcome the evidence-practice gap in TMD treatment. PMID:29505535

Assessment of the knowledge of United Arab Emirates dentists of Child Maltreatment, protection and safeguarding.

PubMed

Al Hajeri, H; Al Halabi, M; Kowash, M; Khamis, A H; Welbury, R; Hussein, I

2018-06-01

Child safeguarding is society's responsibility. Dentists are uniquely positioned to recognise Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) in dental practice and the wider society. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) introduced a child protection law in 2016. We aimed to assess the awareness of UAE dentists of child maltreatment, protection and safeguarding. Study Design A cross-sectional survey. We surveyed 381 UAE dentists about the knowledge and practice of CAN and safeguarding issues using a self-administered anonymous questionnaire. Statistical analysis was carried out using Chi-square, t-test, ANOVA and Pearson's correlation test and statistical significance was set as p <0.05. Over 39 % (n=152) of the responders suspected CAN; male dentists suspected more CAN than females (p=0.015). Orthodontists, paediatric dentists (p<0.001) and female dentists (p=0.001) were more knowledgeable about diagnosing CAN. Paediatric dentists attended more CAN-related postgraduate training (p<0.001) than other specialties. Over 90% (n=346) believed that CAN should be addressed, 58.1% (n=224) and 54.1% (n=206) had CAN undergraduate and postgraduate training respectively but 53.5% (n=204) were unaware of local child protection guidelines. Dentists barriers to child protection reporting were; fear of family violence (59.6%, n=227), lack of knowledge of referral process (60.2%, n=228) and lack of diagnosis certainty (54.9%, n=206). UAE dentists qualified in Western and Asian countries had fewer barriers for child protection reporting (p=0.022) than the Arab and Gulf Cooperation Council qualified dentists. A large minority of UAE dentists suspected CAN. Factors influencing child protection reporting were identified. Dentists' gender, specialty, and country of qualification affected their knowledge of CAN and practice of safeguarding. Child protection training is recommended.

Current biomedical waste management practices and cross-infection control procedures of dentists in India.

PubMed

Singh, Balendra Pratap; Khan, Suleman A; Agrawal, Neeraj; Siddharth, Ramashanker; Kumar, Lakshya

2012-06-01

To investigate the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of dentists working in dental clinics and dental hospitals regarding biomedical waste management and cross-infection control. A national survey was conducted. Self-administered questionnaires were sent to 800 dentists across India. A total of 494 dentists responded, giving a response rate of 61.8%. Of these, 228 of 323 (70.6%) general dentists reported using boiling water as a sterilising medium and 339 (68.6%) dentists reported disposing of hazardous waste such as syringes, blades and ampoules in dustbins and emptying these into municipal corporation bins. Dentists should undergo continuing education programmes on biomedical waste management and infection control guidelines. Greater cooperation between dental clinics and hospitals and pollution control boards is needed to ensure the proper handling and disposal of biomedical waste. © 2012 FDI World Dental Federation.

The Influence of Dentist and Nondentist Parents on Dental Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Romberg, Elaine; And Others

1983-01-01

A study supported three hypotheses, that students with dentist parents: (1) receive greater reinforcement of their education; (2) interact more with their parents on dentally related material; and (3) perceive greater well-being during their dental school years. A fourth hypothesis, that students with dentist parents earn better grades, was not…

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Musculoskeletal Disorders among Young Dentists in Indonesia.

PubMed

Phedy, P; Gatam, L

2016-07-01

Introduction: Musculoskeletal problems are often work related. Dentists have been reported to have a high prevalence of musculoskeletal problems. Dentists have to perform repetitive tasks, often in awkward and nonergonomic positions in their practice. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Five-hundred copies of Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire were distributed to dentists who participated in a congress of a regional branch of the Indonesian Dentist Association. Data such as sex, length of practice, the presence of assistance, smoking, occupational stress, body mass index, hand dominance, and exercise were collected. Dentist who had practised for more than five years were excluded. Results: Two hundred and forty-one respondents fulfilled the research criteria. Musculoskeletal symptoms occurred in 63.5% respondents. Fatigue and pain were the most common manifestations of musculoskeletal symptoms among dentists (36.5 and 24.9% respectively). Prolonged sitting was the most common aggravating factor (26.6%) while exercise successfully relieved symptoms in 35.3% of respondents. Neck, upper back and lower back were the most common sites involved with prevalence of 25.7, 22.4, and 20.7% respectively. Neck was also the most common site of the symptoms preventing normal work during the preceding 12 months (8.3%). Exercise and stress are associated with the presence of musculoskeletal symptoms (p=0.01 and p<0.01 respectively). Exercise is associated with fatigue (p<0.01) and click (p<0.01), stress is associated with pain (p=0.00), stiffness (p=0.00), fatigue (p<0.01), and discomfort (p<0.01). Conclusions: The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in young dentists is 63.5%. Neck is the most common affected region. Stress and exercise are the main associated factor for musculoskeletal problems in dentists.

Dental care for pregnant women: an assessment of North Carolina general dentists.

PubMed

Da Costa, Elizabeth Prada; Lee, Jessica Y; Rozier, R Gary; Zeldin, Leslie

2010-08-01

The authors conducted a study to examine factors associated with general dentists' provision of care for pregnant women and the extent to which they provide comprehensive dental care. The authors mailed an 86-item questionnaire to 1,000 practicing general dentists in North Carolina. Survey domains included provider knowledge about pregnancy and dental health, dental treatment practices, barriers to providing care, outcome expectancy, and personal and practice demographics. The primary dependent variables the authors analyzed were whether dentists provided any treatment to pregnant women and, among those who did, the extent to which they provided comprehensive services. The authors performed multivariate regression analyses to determine factors associated with dentists' provision of care to pregnant women (P < .05). A total of 513 surveys were returned (a response rate of 51.3 percent), of which 495 surveys had complete responses. The authors included the completed surveys in their analyses. The mean age of the respondents was 46 years. The results of multivariate analysis showed that respondents who perceived a lack of demand for services among pregnant women and provided preconception counseling were less likely to provide any treatment for pregnant patients than were those who perceived a demand for services and who did not provide preconception counseling, respectively. Dentists who were male, had a low knowledge score, provided preconception counseling and treated largely white populations of patients were less likely than female dentists, those who had moderate or high knowledge scores, and those who treated a population of minority patients to provide comprehensive care for pregnant women. Most general dentists in private practice provide care for pregnant women, but the authors found notable gaps in dental provider knowledge and comprehensive dental services available for pregnant women. Although many general dentists provide some dental care to pregnant

Nursing shortage: the facts and strategies in Macao society.

PubMed

Liu, Ming; Lam, Bernice; Fong, Pedro; Yuan, Hao Bin

2012-11-19

Historically, Macao, a Special Administrative Region (SAR) in the People's Republic of China, has been troubled by a shortage of nurses. This shortage became especially severe during the period immediately after the handover of Macao from Portugal to the People's Republic of China in 1999. A fast-growing population, an aging population, the risk of epidemics, and competition for personnel with other industries have all contributed to this shortage. In recent years, Macao has implemented the following successful strategies to address the shortage: increased school enrollments, benefits, and professional development, along with the development of a clinical specialist program, a transition program for new graduates, and training for more certified nursing assistants. Strong government support and collaboration among all stakeholders have also served to enhance the nursing work force. In this article, the authors describe the nursing shortage in Macao SAR, discuss factors contributing to the shortage, and present strategies used to manage the shortage. They conclude by emphasizing the importance of increasing salary and professional status and providing transition programs for new graduates.

Network participation for unpromoted female dentists in relation to psychosocial support.

PubMed

Hjalmers, Karin; Söderfeldt, Björn; Axtelius, Björn; Krönstrom, Mats

2004-06-01

Studies have shown that female unpromoted general practice (GP) dentists have a taxing work situation with many problems related to their psychosocial work environment. This study aims to describe: 1) the participation of this group in organized network activity (support groups) in a region (Scania) in Sweden, 2) the sense of support compared with another organization and with a nationwide sample of GP dentists, and 3) the covariation of network participation with support. All unpromoted female dentists within the Public Dental Health Service (PDHS) in Scania received a questionnaire and 94% responded. Those participating in network activity < or =4 times a year constituted 12% of respondents. Cooperation between colleagues was lower than in the nationwide sample. Support from the PDHS was experienced as weak. It was not possible to explain why female unpromoted GP dentists participated < or =4 times a year, while those who felt lonely in their work were to a higher degree participants in a network. Almost 9 out of 10 reported being strengthened by the network both as a person and in a professional role. The female dentist was three times more likely to participate in a network if she had a male head of clinic. The main findings are a paucity of inter-colleague contact and a lack of association between support and network participation. The many affirmative comments indicated that network participation might be a good coping strategy for unpromoted female GP dentists.

Accuracy of dentists in the clinical diagnosis of oral lesions.

PubMed

Kondori, Ida; Mottin, Roberta W; Laskin, Daniel M

2011-01-01

Dentists play an important role in the early diagnosis and treatment of oral lesions. However, treatment based solely on a clinical impression of the diagnosis, without histologic confirmation, can result in serious consequences, particularly when the lesion is precancerous or cancerous. The purpose of this study was to determine the overall accuracy of clinical diagnoses made by dentists as well as to compare the diagnostic ability of general practitioners with members of various dental specialties. The biopsy reports of 976 specimens submitted to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, between January 2009 and January 2010 were reviewed. The presumptive clinical diagnosis made by the practitioner and the final histologic diagnosis on each specimen were recorded in addition to whether the submitting dentist was a general practitioner or a specialist. Of the clinical diagnoses made by the submitting dentists, 43% were incorrect. General dentists misdiagnosed 45.9%, oral and maxillofacial surgeons 42.8%, endodontists 42.2%, and periodontists 41.2% of the time. The most commonly missed clinical diagnoses were hyperkeratosis (16%), focal inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia (10%), fibroma (8%), periapical granuloma (7%), and radicular cyst (6%). Cancerous lesions were misdiagnosed 5.6% of the time. The high rates of clinical misdiagnosis by dental practitioners indicate that all excised lesions should to be submitted for histologic diagnosis.

Periodontal Examination Profiles and Treatment Approaches of a Group of Turkish General Dentists.

PubMed

Ercan, Esra; Uysal, Cihan; Uzun, Cansu; Yılmaz, Mümün

2015-01-01

To investigate the periodontal examination profiles and treatment approaches of a group of Turkish general dentists. 457 general dentists were called and 173 dentists agreed to participate in the study. The questionnaire comprised 10 questions including gender, years of experience, periodontal probing during examination, oral hygiene motivation methods (do you perform, yes/no; the oral hygiene motivation method; verbal expression or using visual materials), periodontal treatments (supragingival scaling, subgingival scaling and planing or surgery) and knowledge about diagnosis and treatment for aggressive and chronic periodontitis. The participants were grouped according to their years of clinical experience: group 1: 0 to 10 years of clinical practice (n = 58); group 2: 10 to 20 years (n = 68); group 3: >20 years (n = 47). The 'periodontal probing' performance percentages were 70.69%, 26.47% and 40.43% in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The oral hygiene motivation rate was high in the first 10 years of clinical practice (60.3%). In addition, 72.4% of the dentists in group 1 used visual materials in addition to verbal expression during oral hygiene motivation. 72.25% of the general dentists performed supragingival scaling. The knowledge of diagnosis and treatment of chronic periodontitis was present in >90% of the dentists surveyed. In contrast, >50% of the general dentists were not knowledgeable in the diagnosis and treatment of aggressive periodontitis. Periodontal probing is a gold standard for periodontal diagnosis, but as the dentists' clinical experience increases, the frequency of its performance decreases. The percentage of the knowledge and treatment of chronic periodontitis is higher than that of aggressive periodontitis. Postgraduate education in periodontology is important to keep general dentists up to date on current periodontal practice and improve awareness of periodontal diseases.

Is there a 'pig cycle' in the labour supply of doctors? How training and immigration policies respond to physician shortages.

PubMed

Chojnicki, Xavier; Moullan, Yasser

2018-03-01

Many OECD countries are faced with the considerable challenge of a physician shortage. This paper investigates the strategies that OECD governments adopt and determines whether these policies effectively address these medical shortages. Due to the amount of time medical training requires, it takes longer for an expansion in medical school capacity to have an effect than the recruitment of foreign-trained physicians. Using data obtained from the OECD (2014) and Bhargava et al. (2011), we constructed a unique country-level panel dataset that includes annual data for 17 OECD countries on physician shortages, the number of medical school graduates and immigration and emigration rates from 1991 to 2004. By calculating panel fixed-effect estimates, we find that after a period of medical shortages, OECD governments produce more medical graduates in the long run but in the short term, they primarily recruit from abroad; however, at the same time, certain practising physicians choose to emigrate. Simulation results show the limits of recruiting only abroad in the long term but also highlight its appropriateness for the short term when there is a recurrent cycle of shortages/surpluses in the labour supply of physicians (pig cycle theory). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determinants of Dentists' Geographic Distribution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beazoglou, Tryfon J.; And Others

1992-01-01

A model for explaining the geographic distribution of dentists' practice locations is presented and applied to particular market areas in Connecticut. Results show geographic distribution is significantly related to a few key variables, including demography, disposable income, and housing prices. Implications for helping students make practice…

Age and Environment Determined Children's Preference Towards Dentist Attire - A Cross - Sectional Study.

PubMed

Ravikumar, Dhanalakshmi; Gurunathan, Deepa; Karthikeyan, Shanmugaavel; Subbramanian, Emg; Samuel, Victor A

2016-10-01

The attire of the dentist has an influence on child's behaviour in dental setup. Recent research has shown that the children have preferences towards the outfit worn by the dentist. The aim of the study was to determine the preference of children towards dentists' attire based on various age groups and environment. A total of 534 children aged between 6-11 years participated in the study. Children were divided into three groups based on their age as younger, middle and older age groups. Photographs of the dentist in different attires such as white coat, surgical scrubs and regular outfit were shown to children and the questionnaire was evaluated by a single, qualified Paediatric dentist in two different environmental set ups, namely school and dental environment. The anxiety level was evaluated by using Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale [MCDAS (f)]. Data was collected and tabulated. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 20.0. A statistically significant difference was evident in the preference level of children towards dentist attire (p-value= 0.002). There was a positive correlation in the preference level of children towards dentist attire in different age groups. A statistically significant difference was evident in the preference level of children towards the dentist attire in school and dental environment (p-value <0.001). Younger age group children preferred regular outfit and middle and older age group preferred white coat and surgical scrubs respectively. Children preferred white coat in school environment and surgical scrubs in dental environment.

Factors influencing variation in dentist service rates.

PubMed

Grembowski, D; Milgrom, P; Fiset, L

1990-01-01

In the previous article, we calculated dentist service rates for 200 general dentists based on a homogeneous, well-educated, upper-middle-class population of patients. Wide variations in the rates were detected. In this analysis, factors influencing variation in the rates were identified. Variation in rates for categories of dental services was explained by practice characteristics, patient exposure to fluoridated water supplies, and non-price competition in the dental market. Rates were greatest in large, busy practices in markets with high fees. Older practices consistently had lower rates across services. As a whole, these variables explained between 5 and 30 percent of the variation in the rates.

How Do Dentists Understand Evidence and Adopt It in Practice?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sbaraini, Alexandra; Carter, Stacy M.; Evans, R. Wendell

2012-01-01

Although there is now a large evidence-based dentistry literature, previous investigators have shown that dentists often consider research evidence irrelevant to their practice. To understand why this is the case, we conducted a qualitative study. Objective: Our aim was to identify how dentists define evidence and how they adopt it in practice.…

Prevalence of Tinnitus and Noise-induced Hearing Loss in Dentists

PubMed Central

Myers, Jamie; John, Andrew B.; Kimball, Suzanne; Fruits, Terry

2016-01-01

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate noise levels in dental offices and to estimate the risk and prevalence of tinnitus and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in practicing dentists. Materials and Methods: First, measures were collected of sound pressure levels produced by dental handpieces and dental suction in the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) College of Dentistry. Second, a survey was distributed to members of the Oklahoma Dental Association (ODA). Results: Measurements made in the dental operatory revealed dangerous levels when high-volume suction was in use alone and in conjunction with a dental handpiece. Questionnaire results suggested that practicing dentists report sensorineural hearing loss at a rate broadly in line with national averages. However, dentists reported a higher prevalence of tinnitus symptoms than would be expected based on sample demographics. Conclusion: Results from sound level measurements and questionnaire responses indicate that dentists are a population that could be placing their hearing health at risk in a typical daily work environment. PMID:27991466

Gingival displacement: Survey results of dentists' practice procedures.

PubMed

Ahmed, Sumitha N; Donovan, Terry E

2015-07-01

A high percentage of fixed prosthodontic restorations require a subgingival margin placement, which requires the practice of gingival displacement or a deflection procedure to replicate the margins in impression. The purpose of this study was to learn the different gingival displacement techniques that are currently used by dentists in their practice and to compare the current concepts of gingival displacement with previously published articles. A survey of questions pertaining to gingival deflection methods was distributed as part of continuing education (CE) course material to dentists attending CE meetings in 7 states in the U.S. and 1 Canadian province. Question topics included initial patient assessment procedures, gingival displacement methods, dentist's knowledge and assessment of systemic manifestations, and brand names of materials used. Ninety-four percent of the participants were general practitioners with 24.11 ± 12.5 years of experience. Ninety-two percent used gingival displacement cords, while 20.2% used a soft tissue laser and 32% used electrosurgery as an adjunct. Sixty percent of the dentists used displacement cords impregnated with a medicament. Of the preimpregnated cords, 29% were impregnated with epinephrine, 13% with aluminum chloride, and 18% with aluminum potassium sulfate. The study showed a steady decrease compared with results of previously published articles in the use of epinephrine as a gingival deflection medicament. Copyright © 2015 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ph.D. shortage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

The late 1990s will see a shortage of Ph.D. graduates, according to the Association of American Universities, Washington, D.C. AAU's new comprehensive study, “The Ph.D. Shortage: The Federal Role,” reports that competition for new Ph.D.s is already intense and can only intensify because demand is greater than supply in both academic and nonacademic markets.Doctoral education plays an increasingly important role in U.S. research and development programs. Students have a pivotal part in doing research and enriching it with new ideas. The AAU report says that graduate students are “major determinants of the creativity and productivity of U.S. academic research, the source of more than 50% of the nation's basic research.’ The market for doctoral education extends beyond the university. In 1985, about 43% of all Ph.D.s employed in this country were working outside higher education; the demand for doctorate recipients in nonacademic sectors continues to grow.

42 CFR 447.25 - Direct payments to certain beneficiaries for physicians' or dentists' services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... physicians' or dentists' services. 447.25 Section 447.25 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID... dentists' services. (a) Basis and purpose. This section implements section 1905(a) of the Act by...' or dentists' services. (b) State plan requirements. Except for groups specified in paragraph (c) of...

42 CFR 447.25 - Direct payments to certain recipients for physicians' or dentists' services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... physicians' or dentists' services. 447.25 Section 447.25 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID... dentists' services. (a) Basis and purpose. This section implements section 1905(a) of the Act by... dentists' services. (b) State plan requirements. Except for groups specified in paragraph (c) of this...

42 CFR 447.25 - Direct payments to certain beneficiaries for physicians' or dentists' services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... physicians' or dentists' services. 447.25 Section 447.25 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID... dentists' services. (a) Basis and purpose. This section implements section 1905(a) of the Act by...' or dentists' services. (b) State plan requirements. Except for groups specified in paragraph (c) of...

42 CFR 447.25 - Direct payments to certain beneficiaries for physicians' or dentists' services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... physicians' or dentists' services. 447.25 Section 447.25 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID... dentists' services. (a) Basis and purpose. This section implements section 1905(a) of the Act by...' or dentists' services. (b) State plan requirements. Except for groups specified in paragraph (c) of...

42 CFR 447.25 - Direct payments to certain recipients for physicians' or dentists' services.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... physicians' or dentists' services. 447.25 Section 447.25 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID... dentists' services. (a) Basis and purpose. This section implements section 1905(a) of the Act by... dentists' services. (b) State plan requirements. Except for groups specified in paragraph (c) of this...

Reframing diversity: younq dentists and the numbers game.

PubMed

Lugo, Ivan

2005-01-01

Diversity is not the same thing as equality, although it creates pressure in that direction. As America becomes more diverse, we would like to see greater progress in access to education and equitable entry into the profession. The new dentist is increasingly both young and a member of a minority group. Foundations, such as Kellogg, Robert Wood Johnson, and the California Endowment, and the Hispanic, the National, and other ethnically affiliated dental associations and the American Association of Women Dentists are becoming a voice to convert diversity into equality.

Knowledge About Chronic Orofacial Pain Among General Dentists of Kermanshah, Iran.

PubMed

Rezaei, Fatemeh; Sharifi, Roohollah; Shahrezaee, Hamid R; Mozaffari, Hamid R

2017-01-01

Diagnosis and treatment of chronic orofacial pain are one of the most challenging issues in dentistry. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of general dentists regarding orofacial pain in Kermanshah, Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016 including general dentists of Kermanshah city. A researcher-designed questionnaire was administered to collect demographic data as well as measuring knowledge of the dentists in four sections including etiology, clinical presentations, physical examination, and treatment of chronic orofacial pain. The questionnaire had acceptable validity (content validity > 0.9) and reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient= 0.857 for test re-test; Cronbach's alpha= 0.72 for internal consistency). The data were analyzed by the SPSS software (ver. 18.0) using Spearman's correlation coefficient ( P < 0.05). There were 121 male (72.9%) and 45 female (27.1%) dentists with mean (SD) age of 40.55 (8.03) years and mean (SD) practice history of 13.28 (8.43) years. Mean (SD) knowledge score was 10.54 (2.36) (maximum possible score= 15). 48.2% of dentists had good knowledge in overall. 48.2% about etiology, 45.2% about clinical presentations, 36.1% about physical examination, and 7.8% about treatment had good knowledge. Knowledge had direct and significant relationship with age (r = 0.179; P = 0.022) and practice history (r = 0.18; P = 0.021). The results showed that the studied dentists did not have enough knowledge about chronic orofacial pain especially in the treatment field. Therefore, it is recommended to implement educational programs to improve their knowledge.

Impact of stress on dentists' clinical performance. A systematic review.

PubMed

Plessas, A; Delgado, M B; Nasser, M; Hanoch, Y; Moles, D R

2018-03-01

Dentistry is recognised as a stressful profession and dentists perceive their profession to be more stressful than other healthcare professions. While earlier studies have shown a link between stress and well-being among dentists, whether stress negatively impacts their clinical performance is an important and open question. We do know, however, that stress is associated with reduced performance in other health (and non-health) related professions. This systematic review aimed to answer the question: how does stress impact on dentists' clinical performance? This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42016045756). The CINHAL, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, EThOS and OpenGrey electronic databases were searched according to PRISMA guidelines. Two reviewers independently screened the citations for relevance. The citation list of potentially eligible papers was also searched. Prospective empirical studies were considered for inclusion. The inclusion criteria were applied at the full-text stage by the two same reviewers independently. The search yielded 3535 titles and abstracts. Twelve publications were considered potentially eligible, eleven of which were excluded as they did not meet the predefined inclusion criteria. This systematic review identified a gap in the literature as it found no empirical evidence quantifying the impact of stress on dentists' clinical performance. Prospective well-designed experimental simulation studies, comparing stress with non-stress situations on clinical performance and decision making, as well studies evaluating prospectively real-life dentists' performance under stress are warranted. Copyright© 2018 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Perceptions of Turkish dentists of their professional identity in a market-orientated system.

PubMed

Ocek, Zeliha Asli; Vatansever, Kevser

2014-01-01

This study explores the perceptions of Turkish dentists of their professional identity and of the effects of market orientation in dentistry. This phenomenological study used a qualitative approach using a group of Turkish dentists, who were selected based on the principle of maximum variation. Four focus groups and 31 in-depth interviews were conducted. Forty-nine dentists were interviewed using a semi-structured form. The data analysis yielded three themes: (a) dentistry as a business; (b) dentistry as a profession; and (c) professional status of dentistry in the health care system and in the community. The participants' statements reflected that the dominance of market mechanisms in dentistry inevitably forces dentists to adopt the characteristics of a business person and prevents them from fulfilling the basic requirements of professionalism. All participants explained that with the transformation of the dental care market, dentists have become a cheap labor force and have lost their professional autonomy. Our study has confirmed previous reports pointing out the conflict between dentistry as a profession and dentistry as a commercial operation. The study also showed that in Turkey, as a country experiencing rapid reform processes, dentists' control over their professional practices and identities has decreased.

State governance versus dentists' autonomy - the case of Swedish dental care.

PubMed

Franzén, Cecilia

2018-03-01

A trend towards the state governance of healthcare through quality indicators and national clinical guidelines has been observed, and it is argued that this trend can be a challenge to the autonomy of healthcare professionals. In Sweden, these regulatory tools have been implemented in combination with subsidies for adult dental care that are based on guideline recommendations which serve to ensure that dental care is evidence-based and cost-effective. This paper aims to analyse the implications of these changes regarding dentists' autonomy and whether the government's political intentions can be fulfilled. The paper is based on documents from government authorities and professional theories. The financial control over Swedish dental care has been strengthened, and it can be argued that this is a step in the right direction from a societal point of view, as public resources are limited. Dentists' professional autonomy with their patients is not affected, which is appropriate, as patients should be treated according to their individual needs and expectations. This article shows that the state's governance does not directly detail dentists' work, which indicates a balance between state governance and dentists' autonomy. However, further research is required to get knowledge on Swedish dentists' view of the governance.

Jordanian dentists' knowledge and implementation of eco-friendly dental office strategies.

PubMed

Al Shatrat, Sabha M; Shuman, Deanne; Darby, Michele L; Jeng, Hueiwang A

2013-06-01

To investigate the implementation of eco-friendly dental office strategies by Jordanian dentists. Self-designed questionnaires were provided to 150 dentists working in private dental practices in the city of Amman, the capital of Jordan. Dentists' names and addresses were obtained from the Jordanian Dental Association. Overall, the level of knowledge about eco-friendly dental offices strategies was high for amalgam, radiology, paper waste, infection control and energy and water conservation. In terms of implementation, the majority of Jordanian dentists apply few eco-friendly dental offices strategies. The most frequently identified barriers to implementation of eco-friendly dental offices strategies were cost and lack of incentives from the government. Most Jordanian dental practices are not eco-friendly. A continued focus on the impact of dental practices on the environment is needed through formal and continuing dental education. Results of this study can guide policy development to encourage implementation of eco-friendly strategies. © 2013 FDI World Dental Federation.

Changes in dentist and dental hygienist numbers in the European Union and economic area.

PubMed

Widström, E; Eaton, K A; Luciak-Donsberger, C

2010-08-01

To investigate the extent to which changes in the numbers of dental hygienists and dentists have occurred in the Member States of the European Union and Economic Area (EU/EEA) during the last ten years and discuss the changes in relation to the possibilities of sharing tasks between the two groups. Numbers for active dentists, registered hygienists and EU/EEA member state populations in 2007 were taken from the website of the Council of European Chief Dental Officers (CECDO) (www.cecdo.org) and from CECDO records for the EU/EEA member states in 1998 and for the new EU member states (who joined in 2004 and 2007) in 2000. From these data, population: active dentists, population: registered dental hygienist and active dentists: registered dental hygienist ratios were calculated together with percentage changes in the number of dentists and dental hygienists by member state, between 1998 and 2007 for the old and between 2000 and 2007 for the new EU member states. In 2007, there were a total of 343,922 active dentists and 30,963 registered dental hygienists in the 30 EU/EEA member states plus Switzerland. The mean population to dentist ratio was about 1500:1 and the mean population to dental hygienist ratio (in the 25 states where dental hygienists were registered) was 13,454:1. During the study period, the population of the EU/EEA plus Switzerland increased by less that 3%, the number of dentists increased by 13% and the number dental hygienists by 42%. The overall ratio of active dentists: dental hygienists changed from 18:1 to 11:1. In six of the 30 member states plus Switzerland the population to dental hygienist ratio was between 2000:1 and 6000:1 and the dentist: dental hygienist ratio less than 1:3. Although, most member states educate dental hygienists and their numbers in the EU/EEA during the last 10 years have risen more than the dentist numbers, there are still only a handful countries where the hygienist numbers are great enough to make a significant

Pure Social Disparities in Distribution of Dentists: A Cross-Sectional Province-Based Study in Iran

PubMed Central

Kiadaliri, Aliasghar A.; Hosseinpour, Reza; Haghparast-Bidgoli, Hassan; Gerdtham, Ulf-G

2013-01-01

During past decades, the number of dentists has continuously increased in Iran. Beside the quantity, the distribution of dentists affects the oral health status of population. The current study aimed to assess the pure and social disparities in distribution of dentists across the provinces in Iran in 2009. Data on provinces’ characteristics, including population and social situation, were obtained from multiple sources. The disparity measures (including Gini coefficient, index of dissimilarity, Gaswirth index of disparity and relative index of inequality (RII)) and pairwise correlations were used to evaluate the pure and social disparities in the number of dentists in Iran. On average, there were 28 dentists per 100,000 population in the country. There were substantial pure disparities in the distribution of dentists across the provinces in Iran. The unadjusted and adjusted RII values were 3.82 and 2.13, respectively; indicating area social disparity in favor of people in better-off provinces. There were strong positive correlations between density of dentists and better social rank. It is suggested that the results of this study should be considered in conducting plans for redistribution of dentists in the country. In addition, further analyses are needed to explain these disparities. PMID:23648443

The importance of teaching communication in dental education. A survey amongst dentists, students and patients.

PubMed

Woelber, J P; Deimling, D; Langenbach, D; Ratka-Krüger, P

2012-02-01

The aim of our study was to evaluate the subjective importance of teaching communication in the dental curriculum by conducting a survey amongst dentists, students and patients. Three questionnaires about communication-related issues were developed in which different questions could be rated on a five-point Likert scale. These questions included the subjective importance of the dental team's friendliness, an elaborated consultation, modern office equipment or the dentist's technical skills. Seven hundred and twenty-nine questionnaires were completed [233 by dentists (32%), 310 by students (43%) and 185 by patients (25%)]. Eighty-seven percentage of the dentists, 84% of the students and 84% of the patients supported an integration of communicational issues in dental education; 94.7% of the dentists and 77.2% of the patients attached vital importance to the dentist-patient relationship regarding the therapeutic outcomes. Dentists with prior communicational training experience would spend significantly (P<0.001) more money for further courses. The results show the publicly perceived importance of integrating aspects of communication in dental education. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Oral cancer prevention and early detection knowledge and practices of Illinois dentists--a brief communication.

PubMed

Lehew, Charles W; Kaste, Linda M

2007-01-01

The purpose of the study was to assess Illinois dentists' self-reported knowledge and practices concerning oral cancer prevention, early detection, and management as a baseline prior to conducting interventions designed to increase dentists' capacity to detect and manage oral cancers and counsel their patients about risk reduction. A weighted sample to represent licensed dentists in 19 counties yielded 518 dentists who responded to a 38-item mailed survey in 2004. Over 92 percent of the dentists reported providing oral cancer exams. However, many are not doing them properly or at frequent intervals. Over two-thirds had oral cancer continuing education, but 40 percent had it more than 2 years prior to the survey. Training in risk counseling was rare. Interventions are needed to assure appropriate skill and knowledge levels for oral cancer early detection, management, and risk counseling by Illinois dentists.

Do health and medical workforce shortages explain the lower rate of rural consumers' complaints to Victoria's Health Services Commissioner?

PubMed

Jones, Judith A; Humphreys, John S; Wilson, Beth

2005-12-01

To identify which explanations account for lower rural rates of complaint about health services--(i) fear of consequences where there is little choice of alternative provider; (ii) a higher complaint threshold for rural consumers; (iii) lack of access to complaint mechanisms; or (iv) reduced access to services about which to complain. Ecological study incorporating consumer complaint, population and workforce distribution data sources. All health care providers practising in Victoria. De-identified records of all closed consumer complaints made to the Health Services Commissioner, Victoria, between March 1988 and April 2001 by Victorian residents (13 856 records). Differences in the percentage of under-representation in complaint rates in total and for each of four categories of health services providers for different size communities. No consistent relationship was observed between community size and either degree of under-representation of complaints against any category of provider, or the proportion of serious or substantial complaints. Rural under-representation was highest (41%) for dentists, the provider category with the lowest proportion working in rural areas (17%), and lowest (18%) for hospitals, with the highest representation in rural areas (28% of beds). More rural complaints were about access issues (10.7% rural and 8.4% metropolitan). Reduced opportunity to use health services due to rural health and medical workforce shortages was the best-supported explanation for the lower rural complaint rate. Workforce shortages impact on the quality of rural health services and on residents' opportunities to improve their health status.

Nursing and Allied Health Shortages: TBR Responds.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berryman, Treva

Staff members of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission worked jointly to establish a task force to investigate and develop recommendations for addressing the workforce shortages in nursing and allied health in Tennessee. The investigation established that Tennessee already has a workforce shortage of…

Shortage of cardiothoracic surgeons is likely by 2020.

PubMed

Grover, Atul; Gorman, Karyn; Dall, Timothy M; Jonas, Richard; Lytle, Bruce; Shemin, Richard; Wood, Douglas; Kron, Irving

2009-08-11

Even as the burden of cardiovascular disease in the United States is increasing as the population grows and ages, the number of active cardiothoracic surgeons has fallen for the first time in 20 years. Meanwhile, the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease continues to evolve amid uncertain changes in technology. This study evaluates current and future requirements for cardiothoracic surgeons in light of decreasing rates of coronary artery bypass grafting procedures. Projections of supply and demand for cardiothoracic surgeons are based on analysis of population, physician office, hospital, and physician data sets to estimate current patterns of healthcare use and delivery. Using a simulation model, we project the future supply of cardiothoracic surgeons under alternative assumptions about the number of new fellows trained each year. Future demand is modeled, taking into account patient demographics, under current and alternative use rates that include the elimination of open revascularization. By 2025, the demand for cardiothoracic surgeons could increase by 46% on the basis of population growth and aging if current healthcare use and service delivery patterns continue. Even with complete elimination of coronary artery bypass grafting, there is a projected shortfall of cardiothoracic surgeons because the active supply is projected to decrease 21% over the same time period as a result of retirement and declining entrants. The United States is facing a shortage of cardiothoracic surgeons within the next 10 years, which could diminish quality of care if non-board-certified physicians expand their role in cardiothoracic surgery or if patients must delay appropriate care because of a shortage of well-trained surgeons.

Dental Visits by Age One: General Dentist Availability for Privately Insured Children in a Rural State.

PubMed

McKernan, Susan C; Singhal, Astha; Momany, Elizabeth T; Kuthy, Raymond A

2016-01-01

To evaluate the availability of general dentists who treat very young children with private insurance in the context of recommendations for age one dental visit. Administrative data from Delta Dental of Iowa were analyzed to identify general dentists providing care to children younger than 18 years old in 2005 and 2012. Characteristics of dentists providing care to children younger than two years old were compared, examining changes over time. Geographical distribution of dentists who treated children younger than two years old was examined. The proportion of dentists treating children younger than two years old increased from six percent in 2005 to 18 percent in 2012. Younger dentists, females, graduates of The University of Iowa College of Dentistry, and those in metropolitan locations were significantly more likely to treat children younger than two years old. Fifty-one of 99 counties lacked any dentists who had provided care to privately insured children younger than two years old. The proportion of dentists in Iowa treating privately insured children younger than two years old has increased since 2005. However, relatively few general dentists provided care to very young children when compared to previous survey-based figures. Geographic distribution of providers supports the hypothesis that provider availability may pose a barrier to early dental visits.

Development of biosimilars in an era of oncologic drug shortages

PubMed Central

Li, Edward; Subramanian, Janakiraman; Anderson, Scott; Thomas, Dolca; McKinley, Jason; Jacobs, Ira A

2015-01-01

Acute and chronic shortages of various pharmaceuticals and particularly of sterile injectable products are being reported on a global scale, prompting evaluation of more effective strategies to manage current shortages and development of new, high-quality pharmaceutical products to mitigate the risk of potential future shortages. Oncology drugs such as liposomal doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil represent examples of first-choice drugs critically affected by shortages. Survey results indicate that the majority of hospitals and practicing oncologists have experienced drug shortages, which may have compromised patient safety and clinical outcomes, and increased health care costs, due to delays or changes in treatment regimens. Clinical trials evaluating novel agents in combination with standard-of-care drugs are also being affected by drug shortages. Clinical and ethical considerations on treatment objectives, drug indication, and availability of alternative options may help in prioritizing cancer patients involved in active drug shortages. The United States Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency have identified manufacturing problems, delays in supply, and lack of available active ingredients as the most frequent causes of recent or ongoing drug shortages, and have released specific guidance to monitor, manage, and reduce the risk of shortages. The upcoming loss of exclusivity for a number of anticancer biologics, together with the introduction of an abbreviated approval pathway for biosimilars, raises the question of whether these products will be vulnerable to shortages. Future supply by reliable manufacturers of well characterized biosimilar monoclonal antibodies, developed in compliance with regulatory and manufacturing guidelines and with substantial investments, may contribute to prevent future biologics shortages and ensure access to effective and safe treatment options for patients with cancer. Preclinical and clinical characterization

Paget's disease of jaw bones as primary manifestation: A case report of a proper diagnosis made by general dentist.

PubMed

Campolongo, Martin G; Cabras, Marco; Bava, Luca; Arduino, Paolo G; Carbone, Mario

2018-06-01

To present a case of early diagnosis mandibular Paget's disease of bone (PDB), recognised by a general dentist. PDB is responsible of rapid bone resorption and disorganised bone formation. The patient was a 72-year-old female patient complaining of dental malposition and blatant prognathism. Clinicians should consider PDB in differential diagnosis for an elderly patient undergoing unexplained alteration in face profile and occlusion. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S and The Gerodontology Association. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Rational use of medicine in dentistry: do dentists prescribe antibiotics in appropriate indications?

PubMed

Koyuncuoglu, Cenker Z; Aydin, Mehtap; Kirmizi, N Ipek; Aydin, Volkan; Aksoy, Mesil; Isli, Fatma; Akici, Ahmet

2017-08-01

There are concerns regarding appropriate use of antibiotics in dentistry practice. Data on dental antibiotic prescribing patterns by dentists is relatively limited. This nationwide study aimed to examine dentists' antibiotic prescriptions in a diagnosis-based manner in Turkey. This retrospective study on utilization of systemic antibiotics for dental problems was based on the national health data of the dentists obtained from Prescription Information System between January 2013 and August 2015. Only those prescriptions containing single diagnosis and at least one systemic antibiotic were included in the study. Antibiotic prescribing was compared by diagnoses and expertise of dentists. A total of 9,293,410 antibiotics were detected in 9,214,956 prescriptions that contained "single diagnosis and at least one antibiotic." The number of antibiotics per prescription was 1.01. "Periapical abscess without sinus" (28.1%), "dental examination" (20.7%), and "dental caries" (16.2%) were the three most common indications in which antibiotics were prescribed by dentists. While only 3.4% of antibiotics were prescribed upon the single and appropriate "cellulitis and abscess of mouth" diagnosis, the remaining 96.6% was prescribed for irrational/uncertain indications. Consistent in all diagnoses, "amoxicillin + enzyme inhibitor" (58.6%) was the mainly prescribed antibiotic. Analysis of the most preferred "amoxicillin + enzyme inhibitor" prescriptions by expertise of dentists showed significantly much higher prescription rates among Group A specialists and Group B specialists (67.0 and 67.8%, respectively) than those in unidentified dental practitioners (58.2%, p < 0.0001). This study showed that dentists prescribed antibiotics in an arbitrary and mostly unnecessary manner. In general, their antibiotic choices for examined diagnoses could be regarded as irrational. These results indicate the urgent need for improvement of rational antibiotic prescribing habits of dentists.

Knowledge About Chronic Orofacial Pain Among General Dentists of Kermanshah, Iran

PubMed Central

Rezaei, Fatemeh; Sharifi, Roohollah; Shahrezaee, Hamid R.

2017-01-01

Background and Objective: Diagnosis and treatment of chronic orofacial pain are one of the most challenging issues in dentistry. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of general dentists regarding orofacial pain in Kermanshah, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016 including general dentists of Kermanshah city. A researcher-designed questionnaire was administered to collect demographic data as well as measuring knowledge of the dentists in four sections including etiology, clinical presentations, physical examination, and treatment of chronic orofacial pain. The questionnaire had acceptable validity (content validity > 0.9) and reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient= 0.857 for test re-test; Cronbach’s alpha= 0.72 for internal consistency). The data were analyzed by the SPSS software (ver. 18.0) using Spearman’s correlation coefficient (P < 0.05). Results: There were 121 male (72.9%) and 45 female (27.1%) dentists with mean (SD) age of 40.55 (8.03) years and mean (SD) practice history of 13.28 (8.43) years. Mean (SD) knowledge score was 10.54 (2.36) (maximum possible score= 15). 48.2% of dentists had good knowledge in overall. 48.2% about etiology, 45.2% about clinical presentations, 36.1% about physical examination, and 7.8% about treatment had good knowledge. Knowledge had direct and significant relationship with age (r = 0.179; P = 0.022) and practice history (r = 0.18; P = 0.021). Conclusion: The results showed that the studied dentists did not have enough knowledge about chronic orofacial pain especially in the treatment field. Therefore, it is recommended to implement educational programs to improve their knowledge. PMID:28553411

Prevalence of clinical findings of carpal tunnel syndrome in Isfahanian dentists

PubMed Central

Haghighat, Abbas; Khosrawi, Saeid; Kelishadi, Abdolmajid; Sajadieh, Sepideh; Badrian, Hamid

2012-01-01

Background: Carpal tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is the most common compression neuropathy. Jobs with frequent and repetitive hand movements are one of the risk factors for this syndrome. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of CTS in Isfahanian dentists. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 240 dentists were evaluated for CTS. Diagnosis was made according to both questionnaire and clinical tests of Phalen and Tinel. Age, sex, years of experience, working hours per week and the type of procedure were considered as dependent variables. All data were analyzed by Chi-square and T-test using SPSS software 11.5 (α=0.05). Results: Among the dentists who were studied, 173 (72%) were male and 67 (28%) were female. 16.2% of males and 17.9% of females had symptoms of CTS and there wasn’t any significant difference between them (P>0.05%). the prevalence increased with advancing age. In a way that it reached to 22.2% in ages more than 55 in contrast to 6% among individuals between 25–34 years old. With increasing of experience to 15 years the risk of CTS increased but an unexpected reduction was observed with more than 15 years of experience. Conclusion: This study showed the prevalence of CTS was 16.7% among dentists and was more common in older dentists. CTS prevalence was increased with age. The dentist population with more working hours per week and more experience years were more susceptible for this syndrome. Using suitable gloves, wrist splints and short periods of resting during vigorous continuous working can decrease the symptoms of this disease. PMID:23210072

Dentist material selection for single-unit crowns: Findings from the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network.

PubMed

Makhija, Sonia K; Lawson, Nathaniel C; Gilbert, Gregg H; Litaker, Mark S; McClelland, Jocelyn A; Louis, David R; Gordan, Valeria V; Pihlstrom, Daniel J; Meyerowitz, Cyril; Mungia, Rahma; McCracken, Michael S

2016-12-01

Dentists enrolled in the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network completed a study questionnaire about techniques and materials used for single-unit crowns and an enrollment questionnaire about dentist/practice characteristics. The objectives were to quantify dentists' material recommendations and test the hypothesis that dentist's and practice's characteristics are significantly associated with these recommendations. Surveyed dentists responded to a contextual scenario asking what material they would use for a single-unit crown on an anterior and posterior tooth. Material choices included: full metal, porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM), all-zirconia, layered zirconia, lithium disilicate, leucite-reinforced ceramic, or other. 1777 of 2132 eligible dentists responded (83%). The top 3 choices for anterior crowns were lithium disilicate (54%), layered zirconia (17%), and leucite-reinforced glass ceramic (13%). There were significant differences (p<0.05) by dentist's gender, race, years since graduation, practice type, region, practice busyness, hours worked/week, and location type. The top 3 choices for posterior crowns were all-zirconia (32%), PFM (31%), and lithium disilicate (21%). There were significant differences (p<0.05) by dentist's gender, practice type, region, practice busyness, insurance coverage, hours worked/week, and location type. Network dentists use a broad range of materials for single-unit crowns for anterior and posterior teeth, adopting newer materials into their practices as they become available. Material choices are significantly associated with dentist's and practice's characteristics. Decisions for crown material may be influenced by factors unrelated to tooth and patient variables. Dentists should be cognizant of this when developing an evidence-based approach to selecting crown material. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Potential occupational health problems for dentists in Flanders, Belgium.

PubMed

Gijbels, Frieda; Jacobs, Reinhilde; Princen, Katrijn; Nackaerts, Olivia; Debruyne, Frans

2006-03-01

The aim of this study was to gather data on occupational health effects among Flemish dentists. A questionnaire on various potential health effects was sent out to randomly selected Flemish dentists. Pilot experimental studies were performed on hearing and sensory function of the fingers on small groups of dentists. Audiometric data of both ears, gathered with an interval of 10 years, were analysed. Sensory tests of the fingers were performed for dominant and non-dominant hands in relation to exposure time to (ultra)sonic equipment. Positive responses for the questionnaire were as follows: low back pain, 54% (stress-correlated); vision problems, 52.3% (age-correlated); infections, 9%; allergies, 22.5% (mainly latex); stress level was scored 7 on a scale from 0 to 10; diminished sensitivity of the fingertips, 6% and auditory disorders, 19.6%. Pilot audiometric data showed a hearing loss at 4,000 Hz for the left ear, presumably indicative of occupational noise trauma. The two-point discrimination ability of the dominant hand tended to diminish in line with the number of years of practice. Dentists in Flanders were found to suffer from various health-related problems. More elaborate studies are required to provide more details on the risks for occupational hearing impairment and vibration hand neuropathy and to determine whether the problems described were related to the practice of dentistry.

Are dentists enough aware of infectious risk associated with dental unit waterlines ?

PubMed

Robert, Amélie; Bousseau, Anne; Costa, Damien; Barbot, Vanessa; Imbert, Christine

2013-07-10

Environmental conditions in DU encourage biofilm development. This biofilm may represent a risk for patients and dental staff exposed to water and aerosols generated during dental cares, particularly for immunocompromised persons. A survey was conducted on the 175 dental surgeons of the department of Vienne (France) to investigate the motivations of dental practitioners to renew their DU, their awareness levels with respect to infectious risks related to water circulating within DU, and methods used for the maintenance of DU waterlines. These dentists were only partially aware of the need for maintaining DU waterlines. For this maintaining, chemical treatments and purges of pipes were carried out by 88% and 91.5% of dentists respectively ; chemical treatments were usually on a continous mode and dentists seemed to have complete confidence in their DU supplier regarding the choice and the use of chemical treatments. Flushes were performed only once per day in most cases (63%). This survey also highlighted that dentists were not enough aware of water related infectous risk, even though 68% estimated that the development of a biofilm within DU waterlines was an actual risk. Finally, very positively, dentists strongly indicated their wish to be more informed regarding all these risks. Although these results are based on a relatively small sample, corresponding to dentists of a French department, they clearly suggest that awareness of dental surgeons is still insufficient and must be performed to permit an effective prevention of infectious risk related to DU waterlines.

The shortened dental arch concept: awareness and opinion of dentists in Victoria, Australia.

PubMed

Abuzar, M A; Humplik, A J; Shahim, N

2015-09-01

The occlusion of a complete dental arch is generally desirable but not necessary nor always achievable in many individuals. It is, however, relevant for dentists to consider what minimum number of teeth is required by individuals for oral function. This study investigated dentists' awareness and opinion of the shortened dental arch (SDA) concept in an Australian context. A self-administered voluntary and anonymous questionnaire was mailed to a sample of 434 dentists, randomly selected from both rural and metropolitan locations in Victoria, Australia. The information collected included awareness of the SDA concept and its application as a treatment option. More than half of the respondents (61%) were aware of the SDA concept. All respondents 'agreed' or 'strongly agreed' with the seven criteria of SDA proposed in this study based on Käyser (1989). The majority (78.4%) believed that the SDA concept is useful in clinical practice. Dentists with <20 years of experience expressed more awareness compared to others (χ(2) test, p = 0.004). Most dentists who responded to this survey agreed that the SDA is a practical and useful treatment modality for older adults with limitations to complex restorative care. However, application of the SDA varied considerably among dentists. © 2015 Australian Dental Association.

The air turbine and hearing loss: are dentists at risk?

PubMed

Hyson, John M

2002-12-01

Damage to the dentist's hearing because of the popularity of the air turbine has been the subject of many articles, but no conclusive proof has been given that the turbine is a health factor. The author provides a historical review of the literature regarding hearing loss among dentists. In light of the inconclusive results of the literature review, the author recommends that further studies be conducted.

Clinical decision making by dentists working in the NHS General Dental Services since April 2006.

PubMed

Davies, B J B; Macfarlane, F

2010-11-27

In April 2006 a new contract was introduced that governed how NHS General Dental Practitioners would be funded for the services they provide. This study looks at the impact that the contract has had in the three years since its introduction, evaluating its influence on the clinical care that patients receive and the clinical decisions that dentists are making. This qualitative service evaluation involved interviewing 12 dentists representative of a range of NHS dentists involved with the new NHS dental contract using a semi-structured approach. We found evidence that the new contract has led to dentists making different decisions in their daily practice and sometimes altering their treatment plans and referral patterns to ensure that their business is not disadvantaged. Access to care for some patients without a regular dentist can be compromised by the new contract as it can be financially challenging for a dentist to accept to care for a new patient who has an unknown and potentially large need for treatment. Cherry-picking of potentially more profitable patients may be common. The incentive is to watch borderline problems rather than to treat if a treatment band threshold has already been crossed and treatment may be delayed until a later course of treatment for the same reason. Dentists often feel that complex treatments (for example, endodontic treatments) are financially unviable. Some dentists are referring difficult cases that might previously have been treated 'in house', such as extractions, to another provider, as this enables offloading of costs while potentially retaining full fees. Younger and less experienced dentists may be further pressured.

County-level characteristics as predictors of dentists' ECC counseling in the USA: a survey study.

PubMed

Milgrom, Peter; Huebner, Colleen E; Mancl, Lloyd A; Chi, Donald L; Garson, Gayle; Grembowski, David

2013-05-20

Transmission of Streptococcus mutans from mother-to-child can lead to Early Childhood Caries. A previous study identified characteristics and beliefs of general dentists about counseling pregnant women to reduce risk of infection and Early Childhood Caries. This study extends those findings with an analysis of county level factors. In 2006, we surveyed 732 general dentists in Oregon, USA about dental care for pregnant women. Survey items asked about individual and practice characteristics. In the present study we matched those data to county level factors and used multinomial logistic regression to test the effects of the factors (i.e., dentist to population ratio, percentage of female dentists, percentage of females of childbearing age, and percentage of individuals living in poverty) on counseling behavior. County level factors were unrelated to counseling behavior when the models controlled for dentists' individual attitudes, beliefs, and practice level characteristics. The adjusted odds ratios for no counseling of pregnant patients (versus 100 percent counseling) were 1.1 (95% CI .8-1.7), 1.0 (1.0-1.1), 1.2 (.9-1.5), and 1.1 (1.0-1.2) for dentist/population ratio, percent female dentists, percent females of childbearing age, and percent in poverty, respectively Similar results were obtained when dentists who counseled some patients were compared to those counseling 100 percent of patients. Community level factors do not appear to impact the individual counseling behavior of general dentists in Oregon, USA regarding the risk of maternal transmission of Early Childhood Caries.

Attitudes among dentists and dental hygienists towards extended scope and independent practice of dental hygienists.

PubMed

Reinders, Jan J; Krijnen, Wim P; Onclin, Pieter; van der Schans, Cees P; Stegenga, Boudewijn

2017-02-01

Attitudes of dentists and dental hygienists towards extended scope and independent dental hygiene practice are described in several studies, but the results are heterogenous. The purpose of this systematic review was to compare the attitudes of dentists and dental hygienists towards extended scope and independent dental hygiene practice. PubMed, AMED and CINAHL were screened by two independent assessors to identify relevant studies. Only quantitative studies that reported the percentages of dentists' and dental hygienists' attitude towards extended scope and independent dental hygiene practice were included. The random-effects model was used to synthesise possible heterogenous influences. Meta proportions with regard to a positive attitude towards extended scope of practice are 0.54 for dentists and 0.81 for dental hygienists. Meta proportions of a positive attitude towards independent practice are 0.14 for dentists and 0.59 for dental hygienists. A meta analysis with regard to negative attitudes could only be performed on extended scope of practice and did not reveal a difference between the two professions. We obtained homogeneous outcomes of the studies included regarding negative attitudes of dentists . A minority of dentists hold negative attitudes towards extended scope of dental hygiene practice. Study outcomes regarding negative attitudes of dental hygienists were heterogeneous. Positive attitudes are present among a majority of dentists and dental hygienists with regard to extended scope of dental hygiene practice, while for independent dental hygiene practice this holds for a minority of dentists and a majority of dental hygienists. © 2016 FDI World Dental Federation.

Australian dentists: characteristics of those who employ or are willing to employ oral health therapists.

PubMed

Kempster, C; Luzzi, L; Roberts-Thomson, K

2015-06-01

There has been an increase in the availability of oral health therapists (OHTs) in the oral health workforce in the last decade. The impact these clinicians will have on the oral health of the general public is dependent on access pathways and utilization. This study aimed to profile Australian dentists who employ or are willing to employ OHTs and to explore the degree of association between dentist characteristics and employment decisions. This cross-sectional study used a random sample of Australian dentists (n = 1169) from the Federal Australian Dental Association register in 2009. Participants were sent a postal questionnaire capturing dentist characteristics and oral health practitioner employment information. An adjusted response rate of 55% was obtained. Dentists willing to employ OHTs included non-metropolitan dentists, dentists in multiple surgery practices and those considering practice expansion. Age, gender and sector of practice were not significantly associated with retrospective employment decisions or willingness to employ in the future. Certain characteristics of dentists or of their practice are associated with their history of employment and willingness to employ OHTs. Employment decisions are more commonly related to entrepreneurial aspirations (expressed as a willingness to expand), sector of practice, surgery capacity and regionality over gender and age. Understanding the factors that influence the employment of OHTs is important in enhancing access pathways to the services provided by OHTs. © 2015 Australian Dental Association.

E-Cigarette Advice to Patients From Physicians and Dentists in the United States.

PubMed

Drouin, Olivier; McMillen, Robert C; Klein, Jonathan D; Winickoff, Jonathan P

2018-06-01

To report on adults' recall of discussion by physicians and dentists about e-cigarettes. A nationally representative cross-sectional survey (Internet and random digit dialing) in the United States. Adults who ever used e-cigarettes. Participant-reported discussion about the potential benefits and harms of e-cigarettes with their doctor, dentist, or child's doctor in the past 12 months. Fisher exact test for the analysis between benefits and harms for each type of provider and for rates of advice between provider types. Among the 3030 adults who completed the survey, 523 (17.2%) had ever used e-cigarettes. Of those who had seen their doctor, dentist, or child's doctor in the last year, 7.3%, 1.7%, and 10.1%, respectively, reported discussing potential harms of e-cigarettes. Conversely, 5.8%, 1.7%, and 9.3% of patients who had seen their doctor, dentist, or child's doctor in the last year reported that the clinician discussed the potential benefits of e-cigarettes. Each clinician type was as likely to discuss harms as benefits. Rates of advice were similar between doctors and child's doctors but lower for dentists. Rates were comparable when the analysis was limited to current e-cigarette users, participants with children, or those who reported using both e-cigarettes and combusted tobacco. Few physicians and dentists discuss either the harms or benefits of e-cigarettes with their patients. These data suggest an opportunity to educate, train, and provide resources for physicians and dentists about e-cigarettes and their use.

Competency model for dentists in China: Results of a Delphi study

PubMed Central

Zhao, Liying; Wang, Yu; Jiang, Yiyuan; Meng, Kai; Zheng, Dongxiang

2018-01-01

Objective With the increasing awareness of the importance of oral health, patients have an increasing need for integrated care from dentists. In China, the dentistry examination consists of two parts: a practical skills examination and a comprehensive medical examination; to date, no assessment methods that are based on specialized dentistry competencies, unlike the United States, Canada, and other countries, have been established. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to construct a competency model for dentists in China in order to guide the development, admission, training and assessment of dentists. Methods Using a literature review, focus group interviews and in-depth personal interviews, a dentist competency index was developed with an expert consultation questionnaire. A panel of 20 specialist experts was chosen from ten national medical universities to carry out two rounds of Delphi expert analysis, using the boundary value method to filter the indicators and the Analytic Hierarchy Process to calculate the weights of the primary indicators. Results Two rounds of Delphi results showed that the expert authority, enthusiasm, and coordination coefficients were high. Constructs of the competency model that included seven primary indicators and 62 secondary indicators determined the weight of each index. The seven primary indicators included the following: clinical skills and medical services, disease prevention and health promotion, interpersonal communication skills, core values and professionalism, medical knowledge and lifelong learning ability, teamwork ability and scientific research ability. Conclusion In conclusion, the use of the Delphi method to construct an initial model of Chinese physician competency is scientific and feasible. The initial competency model conforms to the characteristics and quality requirements of dentists in China and has a strong scientific basis. The dentist competency model should be used in the National Dental Licensing

Competency model for dentists in China: Results of a Delphi study.

PubMed

Geng, Yunxia; Zhao, Liying; Wang, Yu; Jiang, Yiyuan; Meng, Kai; Zheng, Dongxiang

2018-01-01

With the increasing awareness of the importance of oral health, patients have an increasing need for integrated care from dentists. In China, the dentistry examination consists of two parts: a practical skills examination and a comprehensive medical examination; to date, no assessment methods that are based on specialized dentistry competencies, unlike the United States, Canada, and other countries, have been established. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to construct a competency model for dentists in China in order to guide the development, admission, training and assessment of dentists. Using a literature review, focus group interviews and in-depth personal interviews, a dentist competency index was developed with an expert consultation questionnaire. A panel of 20 specialist experts was chosen from ten national medical universities to carry out two rounds of Delphi expert analysis, using the boundary value method to filter the indicators and the Analytic Hierarchy Process to calculate the weights of the primary indicators. Two rounds of Delphi results showed that the expert authority, enthusiasm, and coordination coefficients were high. Constructs of the competency model that included seven primary indicators and 62 secondary indicators determined the weight of each index. The seven primary indicators included the following: clinical skills and medical services, disease prevention and health promotion, interpersonal communication skills, core values and professionalism, medical knowledge and lifelong learning ability, teamwork ability and scientific research ability. In conclusion, the use of the Delphi method to construct an initial model of Chinese physician competency is scientific and feasible. The initial competency model conforms to the characteristics and quality requirements of dentists in China and has a strong scientific basis. The dentist competency model should be used in the National Dental Licensing Examination in China.

County-level correlation between adult obesity rates and prevalence of dentists.

PubMed

Holzer, Jessica; Canavan, Maureen; Bradley, Elizabeth

2014-09-01

Investigators of previous studies regarding the correlation between area-level health care resources and obesity have not examined the association between the prevalence of dentists and rates of adult obesity. The authors conducted a study to address that knowledge gap. Using data compiled in the Robert Wood Johnson County Health Rankings and Roadmaps database, the authors conducted multivariable analyses of the relationship between the prevalence of dentists (from the 2011 Health Resources and Services Administration Area Resource File) and rates of obesity within counties. The authors controlled for prevalence of primary care providers, measures of the built environment (for example, number of recreational facilities per 10,000 population, the percentage of restaurants serving fast food) and county-level sociodemographic and economic factors. When the authors conducted a multivariable analysis adjusted for state-level fixed effects, they found that having one additional dentist per 10,000 population was associated significantly with a 1-percentage point reduction in the rate of obesity (P < .001). This effect was significantly larger in counties in which 25 percent of children or more (versus less than 25 percent of children) lived in poverty and in counties that had more primary care physicians per 10,000 population (P ≤ .009). The association between the prevalence of dentists and obesity, even after adjusting for primary care resources and sociodemographic factors, was evident. Although these data could not be used to assess causality, given the strength of the ecological, cross-sectional association, additional research involving person-level, longitudinal data is warranted. The correlation between the prevalence of dentists and obesity rates highlights the potential for dental professionals, as well as other primary care providers, to provide meaningful health education and support for improved nutritional behaviors, although the increased obesity rates in

Dentist shortage: an analysis of dentists, practices, and populations in the underserved areas.

PubMed

Voinea-Griffin, Andreea; Solomon, Eric S

2016-09-01

The objectives of this study are to identify and describe the characteristics of dental underserved geographic areas. Understanding these characteristics is an important step in addressing access to dental care barriers. Dental underserved areas were identified from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) database and converted to census tracts for analysis. Characteristics of dental underserved geographic areas were compared with areas not designated as underserved. Dental practices included in the Dun & Bradstreet Business information database were geocoded and analyzed according to the underserved designation of their location and census demographic data. Thus, the relationships between dental underserved status, practice, and population characteristics were evaluated. Dental underserved areas are more likely to comprise individuals with lower socio-economic status (income and education levels), higher levels of underrepresented population groups, and have lower population densities than non-underserved areas. The populations living in dental underserved areas are more likely to experience geographic, financial, and educational barriers to dental care. The study identifies the geographic and financial barriers to dental care access. These findings suggest that the likelihood of a market-driven solution to dental underserved geographic areas is low and support public sector interventions to improve the status quo. © 2016 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Evaluations of dentists on a German physician rating Website: an analysis of the ratings.

PubMed

Emmert, Martin; Halling, Frank; Meier, Florian

2015-01-12

Physician rating websites have been gaining in importance in both practice and research. However, no evidence is available concerning patients' ratings of dentists on physician rating websites. The aim of this study is to present a comprehensive analysis of the ratings of dentists on a German physician rating website over a 2-year period. All dentist ratings on a German physician rating website (Jameda) from 2012 and 2013 were analyzed. The available dataset contained 76,456 ratings of 23,902 dentists from 72,758 patients. Additional information included the overall score and subscores for 5 mandatory questions, the medical specialty and gender of the dentists, and the age, gender, and health insurance status of the patients. Statistical analysis was conducted using the median test and the Kendall tau-b test. During the study period, 44.57% (23,902/53,626) of all dentists in Germany were evaluated on the physician rating website, Jameda. The number of ratings rose from 28,843 in 2012 to 47,613 in 2013, representing an increase of 65.08%. In detail, 45.37% (10,845/23,902) of dentists were rated once, 43.41% (10,376/23,902) between 2 and 5 times, and 11.21% (2681/23,902) more than 6 times (mean 3.16, SD 5.57). Approximately 90% (21,324/23,902, 89.21%) of dentists received a very good or good overall rating, whereas only 3.02% (721/23,902) were rated with the lowest scores. Better ratings were given either by female or older patients, or by those covered by private health insurance. The best-rated specialty was pediatric dentistry; the lowest ratings were given to orthodontists. Finally, dentists were rated slightly lower in 2013 compared to 2012 (P=.01). The rise in the number of ratings for dentists demonstrates the increasing popularity of physician rating websites and the need for information about health care providers. Future research should assess whether social media, especially Web-based ratings, are suitable in practice for patients and other stakeholders in

Evaluations of Dentists on a German Physician Rating Website: An Analysis of the Ratings

PubMed Central

Meier, Florian

2015-01-01

Background Physician rating websites have been gaining in importance in both practice and research. However, no evidence is available concerning patients’ ratings of dentists on physician rating websites. Objective The aim of this study is to present a comprehensive analysis of the ratings of dentists on a German physician rating website over a 2-year period. Methods All dentist ratings on a German physician rating website (Jameda) from 2012 and 2013 were analyzed. The available dataset contained 76,456 ratings of 23,902 dentists from 72,758 patients. Additional information included the overall score and subscores for 5 mandatory questions, the medical specialty and gender of the dentists, and the age, gender, and health insurance status of the patients. Statistical analysis was conducted using the median test and the Kendall tau-b test. Results During the study period, 44.57% (23,902/53,626) of all dentists in Germany were evaluated on the physician rating website, Jameda. The number of ratings rose from 28,843 in 2012 to 47,613 in 2013, representing an increase of 65.08%. In detail, 45.37% (10,845/23,902) of dentists were rated once, 43.41% (10,376/23,902) between 2 and 5 times, and 11.21% (2681/23,902) more than 6 times (mean 3.16, SD 5.57). Approximately 90% (21,324/23,902, 89.21%) of dentists received a very good or good overall rating, whereas only 3.02% (721/23,902) were rated with the lowest scores. Better ratings were given either by female or older patients, or by those covered by private health insurance. The best-rated specialty was pediatric dentistry; the lowest ratings were given to orthodontists. Finally, dentists were rated slightly lower in 2013 compared to 2012 (P=.01). Conclusions The rise in the number of ratings for dentists demonstrates the increasing popularity of physician rating websites and the need for information about health care providers. Future research should assess whether social media, especially Web-based ratings, are suitable

Self-perceived mental well-being amongst Malaysian dentists.

PubMed

Ab-Murat, Norintan; Mason, Lydia; Kadir, Rahimah Abdul; Yusoff, Noriah

2018-06-01

To assess Malaysian dentists' perceptions of their mental well-being. A self-administered questionnaire was developed based on a conceptual framework of mental health and well-being model. Two aspects were assessed, namely the physiological (two domains) and the psychological (six domains). Participants were asked to rate their experiences of the aforementioned aspects using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from all the time to never. The response rate was 81%. Most of the dentists (61.7%) perceived having positive mental well-being. Under the physiological aspect, most respondents reported that they were 'generally happy' (93.3%), but about 30% stated they were 'stressed physically and emotionally'. Of the six domains under the psychological aspect, positive well-being was observed in the 'sense of coherence' and 'behavioural stress' domains. Participants who were above 40 years old, married and had children reported having a more positive mental well-being when compared with their counterparts. Overall, most Malaysian dentists perceived having a positive mental well-being. It is crucial, however, to closely monitor and initiate early interventions for those with negative symptoms to ensure the safe practice of dentistry.

Reporting child abuse cases by dentists working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

PubMed

Al-Amad, Suhail H; Awad, Manal A; Al-Farsi, Laila H; Elkhaled, Rawan H

2016-05-01

Reporting of suspicious cases of child abuse is a sensitive issue that is often hindered by uncertainty of diagnosis. This cross sectional study aimed to assess the UAE dentists' experiences in child abuse recognition, the factors that prevent them from reporting suspicious cases to authorities and their perceived training needs. A closed-ended, self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 350 dentists working in the UAE. Chi Square test was used to determine association between training needs on child abuse and its reporting rate. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between perceived training needs and other covariates. One hundred and ninety three respondents satisfied the inclusion criteria. Forty seven (25%) dentists reported encountering a suspicious child abuse case at least once in their career, but only 15 (32%) of those reported their suspicion. Fear of making the wrong diagnosis was the most frequent challenge hindering reporting and dentists who demonstrated a need for specialized training were more likely to express this fear (OR = 5.88, 95% CI: 0.07, 0.45; P = 0.00). The majority of UAE dentists do not report their suspicion to authorities and specialized training should be offered to build dentists' capacity in diagnosing and appropriately reporting suspicious child abuse cases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Factors supporting dentist leaders' retention in leadership.

PubMed

Tuononen, T; Lammintakanen, J; Suominen, A L

2017-12-01

The aim was to study factors associated with staying in a dentist leadership position. We used an electronic questionnaire to gather data from 156 current or former Finnish dentist leaders in 2014. Principal component analysis categorized statements regarding time usage and opportunities in managerial work into five main components. Associations between these main component scores and the tendency to stay as a leader were analyzed with logistic regression. Out of the five main components, two were significantly associated with staying as a leader: 'career intentions', which represented intent to continue or to leave the leadership position; and 'work time control opportunities', which represented how leaders could control their own work time. Other factors that supported staying were leadership education, more work time available for leadership work, and lower age. The main component 'work pressure' decreased, although not significantly, the odds of continuing; it included lack of leadership work time, and pressure from superiors or subordinates. Leaders have important roles in health care, ensuring everyday operations as well as developing their organizations to meet future challenges. Knowledge of these supporting factors will enable dentist leaders and their organizations to improve working conditions in order to recruit and retain motivated and competent persons. In addition, well-designed education is important to inspire and encourage future leaders. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Dentists' perceptions of trends in restorative dentistry in the UK.

PubMed

Randall, Ros C; Vrijhoef, Matthijs M A; Wilson, Nairn H F

2003-04-01

To obtain responses to a questionnaire on likely trends in the clinical practice of restorative dentistry from a national sample of general dental practitioners (GDPs) who were principals of group practices in the UK. A panel of nine experts had been convened previously to define areas of trends in restorative dentistry in the UK and to formulate these into statements. Twenty trends were identified and framed into a 22-item questionnaire based on the trend statements. The questionnaire was sent to a national sample of 2800 principal dentists in group practices. Names of principal dentists were taken from the Yellow Pages directories, a group practice being defined as at least one principal dentist and one other practitioner. Levels of agreement for questionnaire scores of > or = 70% for all segments of a statement were taken as indicating a possible trend. Of the 2800 questionnaires sent out, 1448 were returned, a return rate of 52%. Of these, 1217 questionnaires were usable, an overall response rate of 44%. Good agreement was obtained for 14 statements (64%). The 14 trend statements that scored a level of good agreement were taken as indicating possible trends in dentistry in the UK as perceived by those GDPs who responded to the questionnaire. However, in view of the fact that the 1217 usable questionnaires received reflected the opinions of 10% of the principal dentists in group practice in the UK, this will not be representative of all principal dentists in practice. Nevertheless for the purposes of gaining some insight into trends in restorative dentistry, it could be considered to be of value.

Low reproducibility between oral radiologists and general dentists with regards to radiographic diagnosis of caries.

PubMed

Pakbaznejad Esmaeili, Elmira; Pakkala, Tuomas; Haukka, Jari; Siukosaari, Päivi

2018-04-12

Early clinical and radiological diagnosis of dental caries is one of the fundamental objectives of clinical dentistry because of the high frequency of the disease and severe complications if caries remains untreated, especially among the elderly and patients with immunodeficiency. Dental panoramic tomography (DPT) is a common radiographic method for evaluating dentition when indicated, especially in an adult population. The aim of this study was to assess the reproducibility of diagnosis between specialists in oral radiology and general dentists with regards to caries lesions based on DPTs of adults. One-hundred DPTs taken from adult patients (average age 35) and then analyzed and reported on by 42 general dentists were then analyzed independently by two specialists in oral radiology with respect to caries lesions in the premolar and molar areas using radiographic criteria established for caries diagnosis. The general dentists versus oral radiologists were not calibrated before. Level of agreement between specialists and general dentists was measured using Cohen's kappa. Comparison between observations of general dentists and specialists in oral radiology showed that 61% of the caries lesions on proximal surfaces of premolars and molars observed by specialists went unobserved by general dentists. Cohen's kappa value for specialists was 0.85 (p < .001) and for each specialist and general dentists 0.48 (p < .001) and 0.44 (p < .001). The reproducibility between specialists in oral radiology and general dentists for detecting caries in DPTs was low.

A survey of dentists' knowledge and attitudes with respect to the treatment of scleroderma patients.

PubMed

Leader, David; Papas, Athena; Finkelman, Matthew

2014-06-01

Scleroderma or systemic sclerosis causes dry mouth, a major risk factor for tooth decay, and shrinks the mouth opening, complicating care. A 2011 survey determined that 28% of systemic sclerosis patients have difficulty finding dentists prepared to treat them, and 63% do not recommend their current dentist to other systemic sclerosis patients. We use a survey to gauge dentists' knowledge and attitudes regarding the care of scleroderma patients. We conducted an Internet-based survey of all 4465 members of the Massachusetts Dental Society to determine their knowledge and attitudes of treating systemic sclerosis patients. Data were analyzed using SPSS and Qualtrics research suite. Surveys were accessed by 351 dentists and completed by 269. Responses were primarily from Eastern Massachusetts (80%), but represented the Boston area less than expected. Most dentists believed they have an ethical responsibility to treat patients who have scleroderma (93%). More than half of dentists believed that in not knowing about systemic sclerosis they might harm a patient (51%). If contacted by a patient who has scleroderma, 50% of dentists would gather information on the disease or the patient's condition. Dentists who felt prepared (71%) were more likely to correctly answer questions related to diagnosis and classification of scleroderma than those who felt unprepared (P = 0.004, Mann-Whitney U test). Results indicate the potential value of creating a health communication effort targeting oral health providers to improve scleroderma patient satisfaction and access to care.

The Essential Types of Insurance for New Dentists.

PubMed

Tiedtke, Eric

2015-05-01

Although these insurance options may seem overwhelming and expensive, consider the cost of not having proper coverage in place if something catastrophic happens, such as a disability or lawsuit early in your career. Being a dentist is one of the best occupations there is. The future of dentistry is bright and new dentists can make a great living with a successful career that lasts as long as they want. Part of that successful career is being sure you have the right type of coverage in place so that if something catastrophic happens the insurance company takes the risk rather than your practice, your professional reputation, or your pocket book.

Civil liability: characterization of the demand for lawsuits against dentists.

PubMed

Zanin, Alice Aquino; Herrera, Lara Maria; Melani, Rodolfo Francisco Haltenhoff

2016-08-18

In light of the fact that dentists may be held civilly liable for their practice, it is important to understand the current situation of lawsuits filed against these professionals by studying current legal decisions and the literature. The objective of this study was to analyze the case law of the Court of Justice of São Paulo, Brazil, relative to the profile of patients and professionals, the most commonly involved specialties, the amounts litigated and the court decisions pertaining to civil liability lawsuits against dentists. In an inductive approach, a single researcher screened and collected civil liability rulings by accessing the Court's website, and following a statistical-descriptive procedure and an indirect observation technique. The most frequently involved specialty was prosthodontics. However, oral and maxillofacial surgery was related to a higher incidence of damages awarded to settle claims and to higher damage amounts. The dentist was found guilty in 44.32% of the cases researched. Pecuniary damages ranged between R$ 485.50 and R$ 12,530.00, and non-pecuniary damages ranged between R$ 2,500.00 and R$ 70,000.00. Most lawsuits were filed by women against male dentists. An increase in the relative number of lawsuits against companies versus individuals was observed.

Preparing practicing dentists to engage in practice-based research

PubMed Central

DeRouen, Timothy A.; Hujoel, Philippe; Leroux, Brian; Mancl, Lloyd; Sherman, Jeffrey; Hilton, Thomas; Berg, Joel; Ferracane, Jack

2013-01-01

Background The authors describe an educational program designed to prepare practicing dentists to engage in practice-based research in their practices—a trend receiving more emphasis and funding from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). Methods The Northwest Practice-based REsearch Collaborative in Evidence-based DENTistry (PRECEDENT), an NIDCR-funded network of which the authors are members, developed a one-day educational program to educate practitioners in principles of good clinical research. The program has four components built around the following questions: “What is the question?”; “What are the options?”; “How do you evaluate the evidence?”; and “How do you conduct a study?” Results The intensive one-day program initially offered in early 2006, which concluded with applications of research principles to research topics of interest to practitioners, was well-received. Despite their admission that the research methodology by itself was not of great interest, the dentists recognized the importance of the background material in equipping them to conduct quality studies in their practices. Conclusions Dentists interested in participating in practice-based research view training in research methodology as helpful to becoming better practitioner-investigators. The PRECEDENT training program seemed to reinforce their interest. Practice Implications As dentistry evolves to become more evidence-based, more and more of the evidence will come from practice-based research. This training program prepares practicing dentists to become engaged in this trend. PMID:18310739

Nordic dentists' opinions on the safety of amalgam and other dental restorative materials.

PubMed

Widström, E; Haugejorden, O; Sundberg, H; Birn, H

1993-08-01

The safety of amalgam and other restorative materials has caused concern among dental patients in recent years. The aim of this study was to obtain information on dentists' perceived competence in handling different filling materials and their opinions on the safety of these. A random sample of practising dentists in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden received a mail questionnaire in spring 1990. Answers were received from 1732 dentists (65%). The study showed that the respondents believed that their theoretic knowledge and clinical skills were generally at a high level regarding restorative materials. The risks of the side-effects of gold, ceramic materials, and glass ionomer were considered to be low by about 90% of the respondents. Amalgam was considered to be significantly more hazardous by the Swedish respondents than the others. Interestingly, composite was considered to be associated with a high risk of side-effects by about half of the dentists in all Nordic countries. The dentists' opinions were not found to be greatly influenced by their sex, age, or place of residence but rather by their country and service sector. Against the background of the present lack of scientific evidence on the hazardousness of amalgam or other restorative materials for patients' general health, these findings indicate that dentists are influenced by discussions in the mass media about dental treatment and materials and, of course, by the guidelines given by the health authorities in their own countries. Few dentists were shown to be concerned about occupational risks associated with the use of amalgam, and they had not had their own amalgam fillings replaced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Comparing the Efficiencies of Third Molar Surgeries With and Without a Dentist Anesthesiologist.

PubMed

Reebye, Uday; Young, S; Boukas, E; Davidian, E; Carnahan, J

2017-01-01

Two different anesthesia models were compared in terms of surgical duration, safer outcomes, and economic implications. Third molar surgeries performed with and without a separate dentist anesthesiologist were evaluated by a retrospective data analysis of the surgical operative times. For more difficult surgeries, substantially shorter operative times were observed with the dentist anesthesiologist model, leading to a more favorable surgical outcome. An example calculation is presented to demonstrate economic advantages of scheduling the participation of a dentist anesthesiologist for more difficult surgeries.

Assessing attitudes and actions of pediatric dentists toward childhood obesity and sugar-sweetened beverages.

PubMed

Wright, Robin; Casamassimo, Paul S

2017-06-01

Childhood obesity is a major US health concern, and oral health professionals have opportunities to participate in an interprofessional effort to intervene owing to their access to young patients and their abilities in addressing obesity-related dietary habits like consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). This study determined attitudes, behaviors, future intentions, and perceived barriers of pediatric dentists regarding efforts to prevent childhood obesity and reduce children's consumption of SSBs. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry conducted an online electronic survey with a convenience sample of approximately 7,450 pediatric dentists and pediatric dental residents during spring 2016. Over 17 percent of pediatric dentists offer childhood obesity interventions. Of those not providing interventions, 67 percent were interested in offering obesity-prevention services. Nearly 94 percent of pediatric dentists offer information or other interventions on consumption of SSBs. Statistically significant barriers to providing healthy weight interventions were fear of offending parents, appearing judgmental, or creating parent dissatisfaction and a lack of parental acceptance of guidance about weight management from a dentist. Significant barriers to SSB interventions were sufficient time and health professional education. More pediatric dentists stated they offer childhood obesity interventions than in previous surveys reporting 6 percent, but respondents suggested that a child's weight is seen as a medical rather than dental issue. Most pediatric dentists provide interventions related to consumption of SSBs, perceiving the issue as integral to their care of children. © 2017 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

[Investigation on level and influencing factors of first aid knowledge among dentists in Sichuan province].

PubMed

Qiu, Yu; Li, Yuan-Yuan; Li, Tian-Guo; Chen, Yi-Ge; Kong, Jing-Jun; Pan, Jian

2018-04-01

The study aims to investigate the cognition degree and influencing factors of first aid knowledge among dentists in Sichuan province, and to provide suggestions for the training of oral clinician. A questionnaire was designed for this study. It included the basic situation of population, first aid knowledge level, emergency situation often encountered in stomatology clinic, first aid training situation, learning approach and attitude of first aid knowledge, etc. This questionnaire was used to investigate the dentists of medical institutions in various cities in Sichuan province. The survey results was statistical analyzed. There were 245 valid questionnaires. 1) The level of first aid knowledge of dentists was generally lower in Sichuan province. Work department and other departments work experience were the influencing factors of knowledge level of first aid knowledge among dentists. 2) 87.3% of dentists believed that it was very necessary to master the knowledge of first aid, but in the event of an emergency situation, 73.5% of dentists only can find other doctors to guide themselves to help. 3) The most common way to learn first aid knowledge was through work experience and medical school's first aid course. Dentists should strengthen the learning and training to improve the first aid skill.

Comparing the Efficiencies of Third Molar Surgeries With and Without a Dentist Anesthesiologist

PubMed Central

Young, S.; Boukas, E.; Davidian, E.; Carnahan, J.

2017-01-01

Two different anesthesia models were compared in terms of surgical duration, safer outcomes, and economic implications. Third molar surgeries performed with and without a separate dentist anesthesiologist were evaluated by a retrospective data analysis of the surgical operative times. For more difficult surgeries, substantially shorter operative times were observed with the dentist anesthesiologist model, leading to a more favorable surgical outcome. An example calculation is presented to demonstrate economic advantages of scheduling the participation of a dentist anesthesiologist for more difficult surgeries. PMID:28128661

Vital Pulp Therapies in Clinical Practice: Findings from a Survey with Dentist in Southern Brazil.

PubMed

Chisini, Luiz Alexandre; Conde, Marcus Cristian Muniz; Correa, Marcos Britto; Dantas, Raquel Venâncio Fernandes; Silva, Adriana Fernandes; Pappen, Fernanda Geraldes; Demarco, Flávio Fernando

2015-01-01

Studies based on dentists' clinical practice possess vital relevance to understand factors leading the clinicians to choose by a specific technique over another. This study investigated which clinical conduct therapies are adopted by dentists in front of deep caries. Was evaluated how the place of work, post-graduate training and years since complete graduation influenced their decisions. A cross-sectional study was performed using a self-applied questionnaire with dentists (n=276) in Southern Brazil. Information regarding post-graduation training (specialization, master's or PhD), clinical experience (years since completing graduation) and place of work were investigated. The information regarding pulp vital therapies (materials for direct pulp capping; techniques for caries removal in deep cavities and strategies for indirect pulp capping) were collected by specific questions. Data were submitted to descriptive analysis and Exact Fischer Test. Response rate was 68% (187). The majority of dentists selected the calcium hydroxide (CH) as first material for direct (86.3%) and indirect (80.3%) pulp protection. Partial caries removal was reported by 61.9% of dentists. Less experienced clinical dentists choose partial caries removal more frequently (p=0.009), if compared with dentists graduated 10 years and up ago. The use of MTA was more common among professionals working at academic environment. Besides, MTA was not mentioned by professionals working exclusively in the public health service (p=0.003). In conclusion, the time since graduation influenced the clinical conduct related to caries removal. The choice of liner materials was influenced by dentists' workplace.

Predictors of job satisfaction among practicing dentists at hospitals in Suez Canal Area, Egypt.

PubMed

Fahim, Ayman Ekram

2013-03-01

The aim of this study was to measure the level of job satisfaction and the work factors associated with it among practicing dentists in Suez Canal governorates hospitals. Four hundred forty nine dentists were contacted, and 277 agreed to participate (response rate 61.7%). They were surveyed through a self-administered questionnaire based on items from the Dentist Satisfaction Survey (DSS) questionnaire, which included 29 questions covering items related to the overall satisfaction level and work environment factors; answers were reported on 5 point Likert scale. The mean score of overall job satisfaction among studied dentists was 3.24 out of 5. As regards work environment factors, the most satisfying aspect was patient relations (3.71) and the least was personal time (2.71). Multiple regression analysis model verified that patient relations, value of income, personal time, staff, and training opportunities accounted for 36% of variation in overall job satisfaction score. The majority of the variance was explained by patient relations. This study suggests that patient relations, perception of income, personal time, staff, and specialty training are important work environment factors for job satisfaction among the dentists. These findings might help policy makers to design plans to increase the level of job satisfaction among dentists at their workplaces.

An inexact risk management model for agricultural land-use planning under water shortage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Wei; Feng, Changchun; Dai, Chao; Li, Yongping; Li, Chunhui; Liu, Ming

2016-09-01

Water resources availability has a significant impact on agricultural land-use planning, especially in a water shortage area such as North China. The random nature of available water resources and other uncertainties in an agricultural system present risk for land-use planning and may lead to undesirable decisions or potential economic loss. In this study, an inexact risk management model (IRM) was developed for supporting agricultural land-use planning and risk analysis under water shortage. The IRM model was formulated through incorporating a conditional value-at-risk (CVaR) constraint into an inexact two-stage stochastic programming (ITSP) framework, and could be used to control uncertainties expressed as not only probability distributions but also as discrete intervals. The measure of risk about the second-stage penalty cost was incorporated into the model so that the trade-off between system benefit and extreme expected loss could be analyzed. The developed model was applied to a case study in the Zhangweinan River Basin, a typical agricultural region facing serious water shortage in North China. Solutions of the IRM model showed that the obtained first-stage land-use target values could be used to reflect decision-makers' opinions on the long-term development plan. The confidence level α and maximum acceptable risk loss β could be used to reflect decisionmakers' preference towards system benefit and risk control. The results indicated that the IRM model was useful for reflecting the decision-makers' attitudes toward risk aversion and could help seek cost-effective agricultural land-use planning strategies under complex uncertainties.

Dentists' self assessment of burnout: an internet feedback tool.

PubMed

te Brake, Hans; Eijkman, Michiel; Hoogstraten, Johan; Gorter, Ronald

2005-06-01

The Stress Thermometer is an easily accessible Internet-based instrument for feedback on work stress and burnout. The aim of this paper is to describe the development of this instrument and to determine its applicability within the dental practice. The Stress Thermometer was made accessible to all members of the Dutch Dental Association, of which 77% of all Dutch dentists are members. Frequency of use was determined, and descriptive data was collected. During an evaluation period of 5 months at least 12% of all possible respondents made use of the Stress Thermometer. Descriptive characteristics of the response group, as well as levels of burnout and work stress, corresponded with those found in the Dutch dentist population. However, some deviations were also present. Results indicate the applicability of the Stress Thermometer to a representative variety of dentists. Although the deviations found should not be ignored in future use, the Stress Thermometer was successful in reaching a population that is difficult to reach. It effectively calls attention to sensitive personal issues concerning work-related stress and burnout.

Gender Differences and Predictors of Work Hours in a Sample of Ontario Dentists.

PubMed

McKay, Julia C; Ahmad, Atyub; Shaw, Jodi L; Rashid, Faahim; Clancy, Alicia; David, Courtney; Figueiredo, Rafael; Quiñonez, Carlos

2016-11-01

To determine the influence of gender on weekly work hours of Ontario dentists. In 2012, a 52-item survey was sent to a random sample of 3000 Ontario dentists (1500 men and 1500 women) to collect information on personal, professional and sociodemographic characteristics. The resulting data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression modeling. The 867 respondents included 463 men, 401 women and 3 people whose gender was unreported, yielding a response rate of 29%.Most dentists worked full-time, with men working, on average, 2 h/week longer than women. Younger dentists worked more than older dentists. Practice ownership increased weekly work hours, and men reported ownership more often than women. Canadian-trained women worked significantly fewer hours than those trained internationally. Women were more likely than men to work part time and take parental leave and more often reported being primary caregivers and solely responsible for household chores. Women with partner support for such tasks worked more hours than those who were solely responsible. Dentists with children ≤ 3 years of age worked fewer hours than those without children; however, after controlling for spousal responsibility for caregiver duties, this effect was eliminated. More women than men reported making concessions in their career to devote time to family. Gender, age, practice ownership, training location and degree of spousal support for household and caregiving responsibilities were predictors of weekly work hours. For women specifically, training location and household and caregiving responsibilities predicted weekly work hours.

Work stress, health behaviours and coping strategies of dentists from Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

PubMed

Miron, Cristian; Colosi, Horaţiu Alexandru

2018-06-01

The recognition of work stressors and their links to sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviours and coping strategies is important for enhancing the working conditions of dentists. The aim of our study was to identify and rank work stressors in dentists from Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and to investigate their potential links to sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviours and coping strategies. A questionnaire based on the Work Stress Inventory for Dentists (WSID) was delivered to a cross-sectional sample of 250 dentists working in six neighborhoods across Cluj-Napoca, Romania, as well as at the local Faculty of Dentistry. We collected and analysed information on sociodemographic characteristics, work stressors, health behaviours and coping strategies. Time and scheduling pressure, concerns about the future and pay-related work stressors were found to rank highest among the categories of work stressors investigated. Higher work stress was significantly linked to higher workloads, lower job satisfaction, poorer eating and exercise habits, higher work pain and discomfort, lower perceived health and less sleep. Job satisfaction was the single best predictor variable of work stress scores. The most frequently used coping strategy to deal with work stress was resting and taking breaks. Only one-quarter of respondents used active coping strategies. Our findings suggest that work stress is linked to a number of detrimental attitudes in dentists and that there is room for dentists to make lifestyle improvements. © 2018 FDI World Dental Federation.

Current Trend of Antimicrobial Prescription for Oral Implant Surgery Among Dentists in India.

PubMed

Datta, Rahul; Grewal, Yasmin; Batth, J S; Singh, Amandeep

2014-12-01

The aim of our study was to evaluate antimicrobial prescription behaviour amongst dentists performing oral implant surgery in India. Dentists performing oral implant surgery from different parts of India were personally approached during various national events such as conferences and academic meetings and information regarding their prescription habits for antimicrobial agents in routine oral implant surgery was collected using a structured questionnaire. Out of a total sample of 332 dentists, 85.5 % prescribed 17 different groups or combinations of antibiotics routinely for oral implant surgery in the normal healthy patient. Majority preferred the peri-operative protocol of drug therapy (72.2 %) with variable and prolonged duration of therapy after surgery, ranging from 3 to 10 days. An antimicrobial mouthwash was routinely prescribed by all the doctors (14.5 %) not in favour of prescribing antimicrobials in a normal healthy patient. Our findings suggest that there is a trend of antimicrobial agent misuse by dentists performing oral implant surgery in India, both in terms of drugs used and the protocols prescribed. The majority of these dentists prescribed a variety of antimicrobial agents for prolonged durations routinely even in the normal, healthy patients.

Eye care habits of dentists registered in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Chadwick, R G; Alatsaris, M; Ranka, M

2007-08-25

To determine the current eyecare behaviour of dentists and compare this against published standards concerning frequency of sight test intervals and eye protection. Four hundred dentists were selected at random for inclusion in the study from the UK 2004 Dentists Register. They were invited to complete a questionnaire that ascertained their gender and age, current eyesight status and method of correction, elapsed time interval since their last eyesight test and reason for attendance. In addition, the use and power of magnification was sought along with the adoption of protective eyewear. Responses were coded and placed in a relational database to facilitate interrogation and subsequent statistical analysis. The questionnaire return rate was 63% (247 and allowing for the seven questionnaires returned marked unknown at this address). Of these 158 were males and 81 female. The majority worked in general dental practice. Those with known eyesight deficiencies were statistically more likely (p < 0.01) to attend for routine eye examination. Sixteen percent of respondents failed to attend for routine eye examination at least every two years. The mean age of those who had detected a change in their eyesight and sought examination was 43.59 (SD = 10.57) for males and 39.07 years (SD = 9.41) for females. This mirrored closely the mean age when the use of magnification was adopted (males = 42.39 (10.30), females = 40.33 (10.55)). The use of magnification was not universally adopted. Eye protection compliance was a low as 57% when using laboratory cutting equipment. Although compliance with accepted recommendations for biannual eyesight testing was higher than that for the general population, not all dentists complied. The adoption of protective eyewear was patchy and exposed dentists to unnecessary risk.

7 CFR 3431.7 - Notification and use of designated veterinarian shortage situations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... VETERINARY MEDICINE LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM Designation of Veterinarian Shortage Situations § 3431.7 Notification and use of designated veterinarian shortage situations. The Secretary will publish the designated veterinarian shortage situations on the Agency's Web site and will use the designated veterinarian shortage...

7 CFR 3431.7 - Notification and use of designated veterinarian shortage situations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... of Veterinarian Shortage Situations § 3431.7 Notification and use of designated veterinarian shortage situations. The Secretary will publish the designated veterinarian shortage situations on the Agency's Web site and will use the designated veterinarian shortage situations to solicit VMLRP loan repayment...

7 CFR 3431.7 - Notification and use of designated veterinarian shortage situations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... of Veterinarian Shortage Situations § 3431.7 Notification and use of designated veterinarian shortage situations. The Secretary will publish the designated veterinarian shortage situations on the Agency's Web site and will use the designated veterinarian shortage situations to solicit VMLRP loan repayment...

7 CFR 3431.7 - Notification and use of designated veterinarian shortage situations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... of Veterinarian Shortage Situations § 3431.7 Notification and use of designated veterinarian shortage situations. The Secretary will publish the designated veterinarian shortage situations on the Agency's Web site and will use the designated veterinarian shortage situations to solicit VMLRP loan repayment...

Insights into European Drug Shortages: A Survey of Hospital Pharmacists

PubMed Central

Pauwels, Kim; Simoens, Steven; Casteels, Minne; Huys, Isabelle

2015-01-01

Drug shortages are a complex and global phenomenon. When a drug cannot be delivered at the moment of patient demand, every stakeholder in the health care system is affected. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics, clinical impact, financial impact and management of drug shortages in European hospital pharmacies and identify opportunities for prevention and mitigation of drug shortages in Europe. An online survey was designed based on a review of the literature and interviews and was sent to subscribers of Hospital Pharmacy Europe between June and September 2013. Forty-five percent of respondents (n = 161) indicated that life sustaining or life preserving drugs such as oncology drugs were affected by drug shortages. More than 30% of respondents indicated that drug shortages in Europe were always or often associated with increased costs for hospitals, increased personnel costs and more expensive alternative drugs (n = 161). On the question when information about a drug shortage was obtained, 42% of respondents answered that information from the pharmaceutical company was obtained at the time of no delivery, 50% indicated that information from the wholesaler was obtained at the time of no delivery, while 40% of respondents indicated that information was never or rarely received from the government (n = 161). Fifty seven percent of respondents strongly agreed that an obligation to the producer to notify further shortages could help to solve the problem (n = 161). These results showed that pharmaceutical companies and wholesalers are already involved in the management of drug shortages, while a role is still reserved for the government. Mandatory notification in advance and centralized information can help to reduce workload for hospital pharmacists, will allow early anticipation of drug shortages and will facilitate mitigation of the clinical impact on patients. PMID:25775406

Insights into European drug shortages: a survey of hospital pharmacists.

PubMed

Pauwels, Kim; Simoens, Steven; Casteels, Minne; Huys, Isabelle

2015-01-01

Drug shortages are a complex and global phenomenon. When a drug cannot be delivered at the moment of patient demand, every stakeholder in the health care system is affected. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics, clinical impact, financial impact and management of drug shortages in European hospital pharmacies and identify opportunities for prevention and mitigation of drug shortages in Europe. An online survey was designed based on a review of the literature and interviews and was sent to subscribers of Hospital Pharmacy Europe between June and September 2013. Forty-five percent of respondents (n = 161) indicated that life sustaining or life preserving drugs such as oncology drugs were affected by drug shortages. More than 30% of respondents indicated that drug shortages in Europe were always or often associated with increased costs for hospitals, increased personnel costs and more expensive alternative drugs (n = 161). On the question when information about a drug shortage was obtained, 42% of respondents answered that information from the pharmaceutical company was obtained at the time of no delivery, 50% indicated that information from the wholesaler was obtained at the time of no delivery, while 40% of respondents indicated that information was never or rarely received from the government (n = 161). Fifty seven percent of respondents strongly agreed that an obligation to the producer to notify further shortages could help to solve the problem (n = 161). These results showed that pharmaceutical companies and wholesalers are already involved in the management of drug shortages, while a role is still reserved for the government. Mandatory notification in advance and centralized information can help to reduce workload for hospital pharmacists, will allow early anticipation of drug shortages and will facilitate mitigation of the clinical impact on patients.

5 CFR 337.204 - Severe shortage of candidates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... local or national labor market; (3) The existence of nationwide or geographic skills shortages; (4... geographic locations. OPM may decide independently that such a shortage exists, or may make this decision in... quality of candidates; (6) The desirability of the geographic location of the position(s); (7) The...

5 CFR 337.204 - Severe shortage of candidates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... local or national labor market; (3) The existence of nationwide or geographic skills shortages; (4... geographic locations. OPM may decide independently that such a shortage exists, or may make this decision in... quality of candidates; (6) The desirability of the geographic location of the position(s); (7) The...

5 CFR 337.204 - Severe shortage of candidates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... local or national labor market; (3) The existence of nationwide or geographic skills shortages; (4... geographic locations. OPM may decide independently that such a shortage exists, or may make this decision in... quality of candidates; (6) The desirability of the geographic location of the position(s); (7) The...

Involving patients in treatment decisions - a delicate balancing act for Swedish dentists.

PubMed

Röing, Marta; Holmström, Inger Knutsson

2014-08-01

This study focuses on patients' participation in treatment decisions related to the delivery of oral health care in the social welfare state of Sweden. In 1985, the National Dental Service Act gave dental patients the right to take an active role in decisions regarding their treatment and, in doing so, strengthened them as consumers. Little is known how dentists in Sweden have adapted to this change. This study explores how dentists in Sweden perceive and experience involving patients in dental treatment decisions. Data were collected from open-ended interviews with nineteen dentists, and an inductive qualitative content analysis was chosen to analyse the transcribed interviews. Involving patients in treatment decisions appeared to be delicate balancing acts between the ideals of patient involvement and the reality of how it is practised in Sweden. These balancing acts in turn revealed obstacles to patient involvement and the role that economy can play on the decisions of some patients regarding their treatment. This study has given insight into a relationship in which some dentists in Sweden find it hard to adapt to and change their professional role with patients who appear to act more as consumers. For these dentists, better practice of patient involvement may require adoption of a more consumerist approach. However, in situations where economy influences patients' treatment choices, the ideals of patient involvement may remain unattainable. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Addressing the Shortage of Speech-Language Pathologists in School Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Squires, Katie

2013-01-01

There is a shortage of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in this country. This shortage is due, in part, to the limited number of openings in graduate programs and the increased need for SLPs as their scope of practice widens, the autism rate grows, and the population ages. Schools are feeling this shortage the most. There are several reasons…

Projected Supply, Demand, and Shortages of Registered Nurses, 2000-2020.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Health Resources and Services Administration (DHHS/PHS), Rockville, MD. National Center for Health Workforce Analysis.

The supply, demand, and shortages of registered nurses (RNs) were projected and analyzed for 2000-2020. According to the analysis, the national supply of full-time-equivalent registered nurses in 2000 was estimated at 1.89 million versus an estimated demand of 2 million, leaving a shortage of 110,000 (6%). The shortage is expected to grow…

Academic food-supply veterinarians: future demand and likely shortages.

PubMed

Bruce Prince, J; Andrus, David M; Gwinner, Kevin

2006-01-01

The future demand for and potential shortages of food-supply veterinarians have been the subject of much concern. Using the Delphi forecasting method in a three-phase Web-based survey process, a panel of experts identified the trends and issues shaping the demand for and supply of academic food-animal veterinarians, then forecasted the likely future demand and shortages of food-supply veterinarians employed in academic institutions in the United States and Canada through 2016. The results indicate that there will be increasing future demand and persistent shortages of academic food-supply veterinarians unless current trends are countered with targeted, strategic action. The Delphi panel also evaluated the effectiveness of several strategies for reversing current trends and increasing the number of food-supply veterinarians entering into academic careers. Academic food-supply veterinarians are a key link in the system that produces food-supply veterinarians for all sectors (private practice, government service, etc.); shortages in the academic sector will amplify shortages wherever food-supply veterinarians are needed. Even fairly small shortages have significant public-health, food-safety, animal-welfare, and bio-security implications. Recent events demonstrate that in an increasingly interconnected global economic food supply system, national economies and public health are at risk unless an adequate supply of appropriately trained food-supply veterinarians is available to counter a wide variety of threats ranging from animal and zoonotic diseases to bioterrorism.

Women's motivation to become dentists in Brazil.

PubMed

Kfouri, Maria G; Moyses, Samuel J; Moyses, Simone Tetu

2013-06-01

There has been a marked increase of women in dentistry in Brazil and in many countries around the world. The behavioral mechanisms behind the choice of career differ between men and women, and the inclination to care for others is thought by some to be more present in women than it is in men. This article discusses the reasons that lead women to choose dentistry as a profession in Brazil and the impact of feminization on the current and future profile of the profession, based on the ethics of care. The authors' review of the relevant literature published between 2000 and 2011, primarily in Brazil, suggests that whereas men have tended to choose dentistry as a good business opportunity, women have tended to base their decision on relations with other people and the flexibility of practicing the profession. Many women dentists have been found to decide to work fewer hours, report more interruptions in their activities, and have less preference to work in private practice than men dentists. In the view of service users and dental auxiliaries in Brazil, women dentists invest more time in their patients and communicate in a more pleasant, sensitive, and friendly manner. The conclusion suggests that characteristics often associated with women can affect the dental profession in Brazil by introducing greater concern with the promotion of health and other people's well-being in contrast to traditional dentistry based on curative procedures.

Comparative inter-institutional study of stress among dentists.

PubMed

Pozos-Radillo, Blanca E; Galván-Ramírez, Ma Luz; Pando, Manuel; Carrión, Ma De los Angeles; González, Guillermo J

2010-01-01

Dentistry is considered to be a stressful profession due to different factors caused by work, representing a threat to dentists'health. The objectives of this work were to identify and compare chronic stress in dentists among the different health institutions and the association of stress with risk factors. The study in question is observational, transversal and comparative; 256 dentists were included, distributed among five public health institutions in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, namely: the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS), the Ministry of Health (SS), the Integral Development of the Family (DIF), the Social Security Services Institute for the Workers (ISSSTE) and the University of Guadalajara (U. de G) Data were obtained by means of the census technique. Stress was identified using the Stress Symptoms Inventory and the statistical analysis was performed using the Odds Ratio (O.R.) and the chi-square statistic. From the total population studied, 219 subjects presented high levels of chronic stress and 37, low levels. In the results of comparative analysis, significant differences were found between IMSS and U. de G and likewise between IMSS and SS. However, in the analysis of association, only U. de G was found to be associated with the high level of chronic stress.

Shortage of Peritoneal Dialysis Solution and the Food and Drug Administration's Response.

PubMed

Jensen, Valerie; Throckmorton, Douglas C

2015-08-07

Although the number of new drug shortages has been lower in recent years than in the past, severe shortages have occurred that have affected large numbers of patients. A new law entitled the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act was enacted in July of 2012, which requires companies to notify the Food and Drug Administration of anticipated shortages. This notification requirement has allowed the Food and Drug Administration to work closely with manufacturers earlier to mitigate and, often, prevent shortages. However, not all shortages are able to be prevented, and the shortage of peritoneal dialysis solution is one that has had a significant effect on patients. The Food and Drug Administration continues to use all available tools to address this shortage with manufacturers, including temporary availability of imported peritoneal dialysis solution from Ireland. Mitigating shortages is a top priority for the Food and Drug Administration, and communication with all stakeholders is essential. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Nephrology.

Impact of drug shortages on patients receiving parenteral nutrition after laparotomy.

PubMed

Bible, Jaimee R; Evans, David C; Payne, Brett; Mostafavifar, Lisa

2014-11-01

Drug shortages, including parenteral nutrition (PN) product shortages, continue to increase and have a significant impact on healthcare. The extent to which product shortages affect bowel recovery and outcomes in patients receiving PN is unknown. The objective of this study is to examine the impact of extensive PN product shortages on patients receiving PN after laparotomy for bowel obstruction. A retrospective review was conducted for patients who underwent a laparotomy for small bowel obstruction and received PN postoperatively. Periods of limited and extensive PN product shortages at our institution were defined. PN therapy duration and composition, daily laboratory values, electrolyte supplementation, length of stay, and cost of hospitalization were recorded. Analyses using χ(2), Wilcoxon rank sum, log-rank, and t tests as appropriate were performed using SAS/STAT 9.2. Patients had longer hospital length of stays (20.0 vs 15.2 days; P = .04), trends toward longer PN therapy courses (8.8 vs 6.6 days; P = .13), and a 51% higher hospital cost during the extensive PN drug shortage period. Mean serum electrolyte concentrations were similar while the need for supplemental magnesium replacements increased during the extensive shortage period (75% vs 35%; P = .01). Supplemented patients also required higher doses of magnesium (2.7 vs 1.0 g; P < .01) and more laboratory draws during the extensive shortage period (59% vs 21% required ≥ 2 draws daily; P = .04). Fewer lipid calories were delivered during the extensive shortage period (2.4 vs 4.8 kcal/kg/d; P < .01). PN drug shortages have a negative impact on patient outcomes and require aggressive management strategies. © 2014 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

Evaluation of Parenteral Nutrition Errors in an Era of Drug Shortages.

PubMed

Storey, Michael A; Weber, Robert J; Besco, Kelly; Beatty, Stuart; Aizawa, Kumiko; Mirtallo, Jay M

2016-04-01

Ingredient shortages have forced many organizations to change practices or use unfamiliar ingredients, which creates potential for error. Parenteral nutrition (PN) has been significantly affected, as every ingredient in PN has been impacted in recent years. Ingredient errors involving PN that were reported to the national anonymous MedMARx database between May 2009 and April 2011 were reviewed. Errors were categorized by ingredient, node, and severity. Categorization was validated by experts in medication safety and PN. A timeline of PN ingredient shortages was developed and compared with the PN errors to determine if events correlated with an ingredient shortage. This information was used to determine the prevalence and change in harmful PN errors during periods of shortage, elucidating whether a statistically significant difference exists in errors during shortage as compared with a control period (ie, no shortage). There were 1311 errors identified. Nineteen errors were associated with harm. Fat emulsions and electrolytes were the PN ingredients most frequently associated with error. Insulin was the ingredient most often associated with patient harm. On individual error review, PN shortages were described in 13 errors, most of which were associated with intravenous fat emulsions; none were associated with harm. There was no correlation of drug shortages with the frequency of PN errors. Despite the significant impact that shortages have had on the PN use system, no adverse impact on patient safety could be identified from these reported PN errors. © 2015 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

What's the ROI for resolving the nursing faculty shortage?

PubMed

Kowalski, Karren; Kelley, Brian M

2013-01-01

The nursing faculty shortage will have a fundamental impact on the ability to produce nurses. For most nursing schools and states, however, concerns about the relative merits of different solutions to the nursing faculty shortage are misplaced. Without significantly increased visibility and definition, accompanied by a clear public, private, and health care organization return on investment (ROI), proposing solutions to the nursing faculty shortage is at best premature and at worst irrelevant. There is simply too much competition for resources to expect that a vaguely defined and invisible problem with no rationale for increased investment will receive sufficient support from critical decision makers and constituencies. First must come problem definition, visibility, and ROI. Only then can the case be made for implementing solutions to the nursing faculty shortage.

Nursing shortages and international nurse migration.

PubMed

Ross, S J; Polsky, D; Sochalski, J

2005-12-01

The United Kingdom and the United States are among several developed countries currently experiencing nursing shortages. While the USA has not yet implemented policies to encourage nurse immigration, nursing shortages will likely result in the growth of foreign nurse immigration to the USA. Understanding the factors that drive the migration of nurses is critical as the USA exerts more pull on the foreign nurse workforce. To predict the international migration of nurses to the UK using widely available data on country characteristics. The Nursing and Midwifery Council serves as the source of data on foreign nurse registrations in the UK between 1998 and 2002. We develop and test a regression model that predicts the number of foreign nurse registrants in the UK based on source country characteristics. We collect country-level data from sources such as the World Bank and the World Health Organization. The shortage of nurses in the UK has been accompanied by massive and disproportionate growth in the number of foreign nurses from poor countries. Low-income, English-speaking countries that engage in high levels of bilateral trade experience greater losses of nurses to the UK. Poor countries seeking economic growth through international trade expose themselves to the emigration of skilled labour. This tendency is currently exacerbated by nursing shortages in developed countries. Countries at risk for nurse emigration should adjust health sector planning to account for expected losses in personnel. Moreover, policy makers in host countries should address the impact of recruitment on source country health service delivery.

The impact of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the job satisfaction of dentists.

PubMed

Goetz, K; Campbell, S M; Broge, B; Dörfer, C E; Brodowski, M; Szecsenyi, J

2012-10-01

The Two-Factor Theory of job satisfaction distinguishes between intrinsic-motivation (i.e. recognition, responsibility) and extrinsic-hygiene (i.e. job security, salary, working conditions) factors. The presence of intrinsic-motivation facilitates higher satisfaction and performance, whereas the absences of extrinsic factors help mitigate against dissatisfaction. The consideration of these factors and their impact on dentists' job satisfaction is essential for the recruitment and retention of dentists. The objective of the study is to assess the level of job satisfaction of German dentists and the factors that are associated with it. This cross-sectional study was based on a job satisfaction survey. Data were collected from 147 dentists working in 106 dental practices. Job satisfaction was measured with the 10-item Warr-Cook-Wall job satisfaction scale. Organizational characteristics were measured with two items. Linear regression analyses were performed in which each of the nine items of the job satisfaction scale (excluding overall satisfaction) were handled as dependent variables. A stepwise linear regression analysis was performed with overall job satisfaction as the dependent outcome variable, the nine items of job satisfaction and the two items of organizational characteristics controlled for age and gender as predictors. The response rate was 95.0%. Dentists were satisfied with 'freedom of working method' and mostly dissatisfied with their 'income'. Both variables are extrinsic factors. The regression analyses identified five items that were significantly associated with each item of the job satisfaction scale: 'age', 'mean weekly working time', 'period in the practice', 'number of dentist's assistant' and 'working atmosphere'. Within the stepwise linear regression analysis the intrinsic factor 'opportunity to use abilities' (β = 0.687) showed the highest score of explained variance (R(2) = 0.468) regarding overall job satisfaction. With respect to the Two

The American Nursing Shortage: Implications for Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedel, Janice Nahra

2012-01-01

This article examines national employment and program trends in the nursing profession, the nursing shortage in Iowa, and state policy and community college responses in Iowa. During the seven-year period 2001-2008, two Iowa governors convened special task forces to study the nursing shortage and to make recommendations. The policy responses dealt…

Evaluation of child preference for dentist attire and usage of camouflage syringe in reduction of anxiety.

PubMed

Babaji, Prashant; Chauhan, Pavni P; Rathod, Vikram; Mhatre, Swapnil; Paul, Uttam; Guram, Guneet

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the child preference for dentist attire and camouflage versus conventional syringe in reduction of anxiety. A total of 600 children aged 6-14 years were made to look at a set of six photos of an individual dressed with different colored apron of pink, green, blue, white colors, formal dress, and cartoon character along with conventional syringe and camouflage syringe with a toy-like appearance to permit injection of local anesthesia. Children's anxiety level during injections and with colored coat was assessed and recorded using the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale faces version. SPSS statistical software version 21 and using Chi-square test. Among age group of 6-8 years, 65.33% selected colorful apron, while other age groups 9-10, 11-12 years, and 13-14 years selected 47.34%, 57.34%, and 50.67% white coat, respectively ( P < 0.05). For syringe, 78% of younger age group (6-10 years) preferred camouflage syringe, whereas 71% of older age group (11-14 years) preferred conventional syringe. Anxiety level of all children for syringe was more compared to that of white coat. Younger children prefer colorful attire of dentist and camouflage syringe over conventional compared to older one.

Dentists in double trouble: the (un)fairness of punishing for the same mistake twice.

PubMed

Brands, Wolter; Welie, Jos V M

2008-09-01

and Overview. Many state dental practice acts allow for the suspension or revocation of a dentist's license on the basis of a previous conviction for illegal behavior, even if the behavior is not related to the practice of dentistry. Penalizing a dentist twice for the same behavior appears to violate the legal principle "ne bis in idem"-that is, no double penalty for the same socially undesirable behavior. However, disciplinary measures are not intended primarily to penalize the offender but rather to protect the public and the reputation of the profession. In this article, the authors review various cases in which boards disciplined convicted dentists and propose criteria for discerning between situations in which such "double trouble" is fair and unfair. and Practice Implications. The authors conclude that such disciplinary actions are fair only if four criteria concerning the following are fulfilled: the relationship between the dentist's illegal behavior and dental treatment or privileges of the dentist; the severity of the crime; the frequency of the illegal behavior; and the balance between crime and punishment.

Outcome of career expectancies and early professional burnout among newly qualified dentists.

PubMed

Gorter, R C; Storm, M K; te Brake, J H M; Kersten, H W; Eijkman, M A J

2007-08-01

To measure burnout development, outcome of expectations with regard to dental career and feelings of being unprepared for practice among newly graduated general dental practitioners. In 1997, 50 dentists were approached to fill in the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Dutch version (UBOS) and some additional variables between six months and one year after graduation at the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA) (76% response). Six years later, in 2003, the same 50 dentists, plus another 60 who had graduated in the same period at ACTA, were approached (78% response). Using Repeated Measures analysis, mean scores of dentists for whom two measurements were available on the three UBOS subscales (N=24) showed no statistically significant changes over six years on Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalisation, or Personal Accomplishment. The same was true for group means of all in 1997 (N=33) compared with all in 2003 (N=82). However, according to manual criteria, varying percentages (7.2% - 24.4%) of dentists showed an unfavourable level on either one of the UBOS dimensions. Factors most frequently mentioned to be responsible for being unprepared for practice were: law and insurance matters (61.2%), practice organisation (56.6%) and staff management (55.2%). Most frequently reported factors that came out (much) worse than expected were: stressfulness of work (45.1%), and staff management (43.4%). Burnout appears no threat for the average newly qualified dentist. However, some individuals report alarmingly high burnout scores at an early professional stage. Practice management is the professional aspect about which young professionals worry most. It is recommended that dental schools pay attention to practice management skills and the stressfulness of work in the curriculum. Also, longitudinal monitoring of dental students and newly qualified dentists on burnout development is strongly advocated.

Continuing education needs of non-specialty-trained Army general dentists.

PubMed

Chisick, M C

1994-04-01

In this survey, preferences for dental continuing education (C.E.) topics for non-specialty-trained Army general dentists were explored across personal and practice characteristics and were compared with C.E. topics that their supervisors think they need. Among general dentists, preferences for dental C.E. topics were found to vary across level of training, assignment location, experience, and presence of specialists in clinic of assignment. C.E. preferences of general dentists were found to be more narrowly clinically focused than those that their supervisors think they need. All groups ranked Management of Medical Emergencies as the most needed dental C.E. topic. The current inventory of Army dental C.E. courses is meeting the needs expressed by survey respondents with the exception of human relations courses. Topics such as Motivating Co-Workers, Management of Job Stress, and Working with Difficult People, which received high ratings in this survey, should be incorporated into the Army dental C.E. system.

Frequent jaw-face pain in chronic Whiplash-Associated Disorders.

PubMed

Häggman-Henrikson, Birgitta; Grönqvist, Johan; Eriksson, Per-Olof

2011-01-01

Chronic Whiplash-Associated Disorders (WAD) present with frequent pain in the neck, head and shoulder regions but the presence of frequent jaw-face pain is unclear. The aim of the study was to investigate the frequency of jaw-face pain, pain in other regions, and general symptoms in chronic WAD patients. Fifty whiplash-patients and 50 healthy age- and sex-matched controls were examined by questionnaire for pain in the jaw-face, pain in other regions and other symptoms. In contrast to healthy, a majority of the WAD patients (88%) reported frequent pain in the jaw-face, in addition to frequent pain in the neck (100%), shoulders (94%), head (90%) and back (72%). The WAD patients also reported stiffness and numbness in the jaw-face region, and frequent general symptoms such as balance problems, stress and sleep disturbances. The result suggests that frequent pain in the jaw-face can be part of the spectrum of symptoms in chronic WAD.The finding of self-reported numbness in the jaw-face indicates disturbed trigeminal nerve function and merits further investigation. We conclude that assessment of WAD should include pain in the jaw-face region. A multidisciplinary rehabilitation program including dentists, preferably specialized in the area of orofacial pain, should be advocated after whiplash injury.

Baby boomer retirement and the future of dentistry.

PubMed

Schofield, D J; Fletcher, S L

2007-06-01

The dental workforce, like the Australian population, is ageing. As the large baby boomer cohort retires dental shortages will likely increase. Australian Bureau of Statistics census data from 1986 to 2001 were used to examine ageing of the dental workforce and attrition of dentists aged 50 years and over. The number of dentists to retire was projected over the next 20 years. Since 1986, the dental workforce has aged significantly (p < 0.01). About half of the current dental workforce is projected to retire by 2026. Generation X dentists are significantly less likely to work long hours than the baby boomer cohort of dentists (p < 0.01). This is partly due to an increase in the proportion of women in the dental workforce and male Generation X dentists being less likely to work long hours (>41 per week) than male baby boomer dentists (p < 0.01). Ageing of the workforce will have an impact on dentistry later than on some other professions due to the 35 per cent of dentists who work beyond 65 years of age. Nonetheless, existing dental shortages are likely to be exacerbated over the short term by the 22 per cent of dentists projected to retire over the next 10 years.

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea and the older dental patient: how do dentists respond?

PubMed

Zwetchkenbaum, Samuel R; Overbeck, Kevin J; Pomerantz, Sherry C

2015-01-01

Gastrointestinal complications from antibiotic use, including Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), can have significant morbidity, especially among older patients. This descriptive study surveyed dentists to find out how they would respond to a patient with signs indicating potential CDI. A survey on prescribing medications for older patients was mailed to 1,000 dentists in New Jersey. Questions were asked regarding antibiotic selection, probiotic use, and approach to a patient scenario of diarrhea after antibiotic use. Respondents chose amoxicillin most frequently as an antibiotic, and clindamycin if penicillin allergy. When informed their patients had diarrhea, 64.5% advised them to stop the antibiotic. If the patient continued to have diarrhea on follow-up, 75.5% contacted the patient's physician. Most (61.6%) do not prescribe probiotics prophylactically. Most dentists respond appropriately to antibiotic-associated diarrhea in advising to stop the antibiotic, and seeking physician involvement if no improvement, but there are still many who make recommendations that could delay appropriate care. Dentists may wish to learn more about benefits of probiotics. © 2015 Special Care Dentistry Association and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Quality of life among dentists in teaching hospitals in South Canara, India.

PubMed

Doshi, Dolar; Jain, Animesh; Vinaya, K; Kotian, Shashidhar

2011-01-01

This paper reports on the quality of life among dentists using World Health Organization Abbreviated Instrument for Quality of Life Assessment, comprising 26 items which measure the following broad domains: Physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment. The instrument was self-administered among dentists in four teaching dental institutions. A total of 191 questionnaires were given out. Of those, 187 were consented and answered, making up a response rate of 97.9%. The internal consistency of the questionnaire, measured by Cronbach's alpha was estimated at 0.75. Highest mean score was seen for Domain 3 (Social relationships) (16.15 + 2.38) and the least score was for Domain 4 (Environment) (14.72 + 2.12). Higher proportions of respondents rated their quality of life as good (65.1 percent), and also majority of dentists (63.5 percent) were satisfied with their health. Quality of life recognizes the value of an individual's health in the broader psychologic and social aspects of his/her life. In this study, the overall rating of quality of life among dentists in teaching hospitals is good.

Dentists' attitude to provision of care for people with learning disabilities in Udaipur, India.

PubMed

Nagarajappa, Ramesh; Tak, Mridula; Sharda, Archana J; Asawa, Kailash; Jalihal, Sagar; Kakatkar, Gauri

2013-03-01

This study determines and compares the attitudes of dentists to the provision of care for people with learning disabilities according to gender, qualification, previous experience of treating patients with learning disabilities and work experience of dentists. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 247 dentists (166 men and 81 women) using a pretested structured questionnaire. This questionnaire assessed the respondent's attitude towards learning-disabled patients in five categories: beliefs about treating them, their capabilities, discrimination against these patients, their social behaviour and quality of care to be received by these patients. The information on dentist's gender, qualification, work experience and previous experience of treating patients with learning disabilities was also collected through questionnaire. The Student's t-test and anova test were used for statistical analysis. The mean attitude score was found to be 71.13 ± 8.97. A statistically significant difference was found in the mean attitude scores of dentists with work experience (p = 0.000). Study subjects with postgraduate qualification and previous experience of treating patients with learning disabilities had significantly greater mean attitude score than their counterparts (p = 0.000). The overall attitude of dentists towards provision of care for people with learning disabilities was favourable, which increased with higher qualification and past experience. © 2012 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2012 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Dental fear in children and adolescents: a comparison of forms of anxiety management practised by general and paediatric dentists.

PubMed

Diercke, Katja; Ollinger, Isabelle; Bermejo, Justo Lorenzo; Stucke, Kathrin; Lux, Christopher J; Brunner, Monika

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND. About 11% of children and adolescents suffer from dental fear. These young people run an increasing risk of undergoing more invasive treatments. AIM. We researched the management of dental anxiety in young patients by general and paediatric dentists as well as by trained and untrained dentists. DESIGN. Eight hundred dentists in Germany were interviewed via e-mail regarding their experience, treatment techniques, information material and complications during the treatment of fearful children. We also examined how difficult dentists judge the treatment of anxious children and how often they participate in continuing education courses. RESULTS. Paediatric dentists applied a greater spectrum of management techniques than general dentists. They used more often psychotherapeutic interventions and anxiety assessment questionnaires. Dentists who frequently attend in continuing education courses judged the treatment to be less difficult and also used psychotherapeutic interventions more often. CONCLUSIONS. German paediatric dentists and dentists who take continuing education courses utilise a broader range of techniques to manage dental anxiety. They may be eminently suited to treat children with severe forms of anxiety. Therefore, dentists who treat young patients should participate in education programmes so as to reduce both the anxiety of their patients and their own anxiety. © 2011 The Authors. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry © 2011 BSPD, IAPD and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Expectations and final evaluation of complete dentures by patients, dentist and dental technician.

PubMed

Marachlioglou, C R M Z; Dos Santos, J F F; Cunha, V P P; Marchini, Leonardo

2010-07-01

There is a poor association between the dentist's evaluation of denture quality and patients' satisfaction with their dentures. Possible differences between dental professionals and patients' expectations might help explain differences in outcome evaluations. This study compared scores given by a dentist, a dental technician and patients for their expectations before and their final evaluation after complete dentures treatment. Twenty completely edentulous patients, a prosthodontist and a dental technician provided scores for the expected aesthetic and functional results of their dentures based on a visual analogue scale at baseline. Post-treatment completion ratings were given after adjustments, by dentist and patients. The dental technician provided post-treatment completion ratings after completing the dentures. The patients had higher expectations than the dental technician and the dentist perceived for both aesthetic and function (P < 0.001). The patients also presented higher post-treatment completion ratings than the dental professionals perceived for final aesthetics (P = 0.016, Kendall's W = 0.207) and function (P = 0.002, Kendall's W = 0.303). Only the dentist presented a statistically significant difference between expectations (lower) and final (higher) outcomes for aesthetics (P = 0.017) and function (P = 0.003). There was no correlation between expectations and post-treatment completion ratings according to the patients' age. There was also no correlation between the patients' gender and expectation scores. Patients presented higher expectations regarding their dentures than dental professionals. The dentist believed that dentures would bring fewer benefits than patients did, but his perception of denture benefits post-treatment was significantly higher than his expectations.

Energy Shortage: A Benign Crisis?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong, Ellis L.

1974-01-01

The energy shortage will have a favorable effect on city revitalizing activities as innovative thinking is applied to city and transportation planning, building design, service and recreational facilities, and sewage treatment. (Author/MF)

Male Dentists at Midlife: An Exploration of the One Life/One Career Imperative.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Born, David O.; Nelson, Bradley J.

1984-01-01

Surveyed 172 male dentists to examine the extent to which they felt trapped in a one life/one career imperative. Results showed 84 percent agreed that most professionals can pursue only one career. Dentists undergoing a midlife crisis were less satisfied with their careers. (JAC)

Oral and dental health in pregnant women: attitudes among dentists in southeastern Spain.

PubMed

López-Jornet, Pia; Camacho-Alonso, Fabio; Sanchez-Siles, Mariano; Molina-Miñano, Francisco

2014-01-01

A study was undertaken to determine the general level of knowledge, attitudes and practices in clinical dental care of pregnant women. This was a transversal descriptive study in the form of a structured and anonymous survey completed by dentists in Murcia (southeast Spain). The questionnaire was sent by e-mail and investigated dentists' knowledge of and attitudes toward different dental procedures applying to pregnant women. The response rate to the questionnaire was 60%. The vast majority of dentists (81.3%) agreed that oral care should be part of general healthcare for pregnant women. However, discrepancies were found in knowledge and attitudes to practice.

Dentists with enhanced skills (Special Interest) in Endodontics: gatekeepers views in London.

PubMed

Ghotane, Swapnil G; Al-Haboubi, Mustafa; Kendall, Nick; Robertson, Claire; Gallagher, Jennifer E

2015-09-21

Dentists with a special interest hold enhanced skills enabling them to treat cases of intermediate complexity. The aim of this study was to explore primary dental care practitioners' views of dentists with a special interest (DwSIs) in Endodontics in London, with reference to an educational and service initiative established by (the former) London Deanery in conjunction with the NHS. A cross-sectional postal survey of primary care dentists working across different models of care within London was conducted, with a target to achieve views of at least 5 % of London's dentists. The questionnaire instrument was informed by qualitative research and the dental literature and piloted prior to distribution; data were analysed using SPSS v19 and STATA v12.0. Six per cent of London's primary care dentists (n = 243) responded to the survey; 53 % were male. Just over one third (37 %; n = 90) were aware of the DwSI service being provided. Most practitioners reported that having access to a DwSI in Endodontics would support the care of their patients (89 %; n = 215), would carry out more endodontic treatment in the NHS primary dental care if adequately reimbursed (93 %; n = 220), and had more time (76 %; n = 180). Female respondents appeared to be less confident in doing endodontic treatment (p = 0.001). More recently qualified respondents reported greater need for training/support for performing more endodontic treatment in the NHS primary dental care (p = 0.001), were more dissatisfied with access to endodontic service in the NHS primary dental care (p = 0.007) and more interested to train as a DwSI in endodontics (p = 0.001) compared with respondents having a greater number of years of clinical experience since qualification. The findings lend support to the concept of developing dentists with enhanced skills as well as ensuring additional funding, time and support to facilitate more routine endodontics through the NHS primary care to meet

Sir John Lavery's The Dentist (Conrad Ackner and his Patient).

PubMed

McConkey, K

2011-01-22

The rise of the dental profession coinciding with the invention and rapid spread of photography means that there are very few paintings of dentists in action. The present article describes Sir John Lavery's unusual depiction of The Dentist (Conrad Ackner and his Patient) in which the conventions of contemporary society portraiture are set aside. The resulting canvas has much to tell us about the up-to-date equipment used in a surgery of the late twenties by a successful practitioner who pioneered the use of X-rays.

The nursing shortage: breach of ideology as an unexplored cause.

PubMed

Censullo, Joan L

2008-01-01

The worldwide nursing shortage is unprecedented. Studies show increasing demand for nursing services coupled with a finite nursing supply. Many theories have been developed to explain the nursing shortage, to no avail. One unexplored theory is the psychological contract, which explores the impact of unwritten yet real expectations on work relationships. Understanding breach of the psychological contract is essential to resolution of the ongoing nursing shortage.

Financing of dental services in Turkey: opinions and expectations of dentists, residents, and patients.

PubMed

Hayran, Osman; Mumcu, Gonca; Sur, Haydar; Yildirim, Celal; Söylemez, Didem; Atli, Hakki

2004-01-01

This study investigates the attitudes of dentists, residents, and patients on the financing of dental services in Turkey. In this descriptive study, randomly selected groups of 860 dentists, 641 patients, and 866 residents from 9 provinces of Turkey were interviewed. Their agreement on various statements on financing issues of dental services were recorded and analyzed. Eighty-two percent of the dentists, 83.8 percent of the patients, and 76.4 percent of the residents agreed that "governments should finance all dental services." The majority of the dentists (83.6%), patients (74.7%), and residents (84.4%) stated that patients should pay a copayment for their dental treatment. Survey results indicate that the current financing system of dental services in Turkey is not satisfactory either for the providers or for the users.

Assessment of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing among a large cohort of general dentists in the United States.

PubMed

Durkin, Michael J; Feng, Qianxi; Warren, Kyle; Lockhart, Peter B; Thornhill, Martin H; Munshi, Kiraat D; Henderson, Rochelle R; Hsueh, Kevin; Fraser, Victoria J

2018-05-01

The purpose of this study was to assess dental antibiotic prescribing trends over time, to quantify the number and types of antibiotics dentists prescribe inappropriately, and to estimate the excess health care costs of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing with the use of a large cohort of general dentists in the United States. We used a quasi-Poisson regression model to analyze antibiotic prescriptions trends by general dentists between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2015, with the use of data from Express Scripts Holding Company, a large pharmacy benefits manager. We evaluated antibiotic duration and appropriateness for general dentists. Appropriateness was evaluated by reviewing the antibiotic prescribed and the duration of the prescription. Overall, the number and rate of antibiotic prescriptions prescribed by general dentists remained stable in our cohort. During the 3-year study period, approximately 14% of antibiotic prescriptions were deemed inappropriate, based on the antibiotic prescribed, antibiotic treatment duration, or both indicators. The quasi-Poisson regression model, which adjusted for number of beneficiaries covered, revealed a small but statistically significant decrease in the monthly rate of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions by 0.32% (95% confidence interval, 0.14% to 0.50%; P = .001). Overall antibiotic prescribing practices among general dentists in this cohort remained stable over time. The rate of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions by general dentists decreased slightly over time. From these authors' definition of appropriate antibiotic prescription choice and duration, inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions are common (14% of all antibiotic prescriptions) among general dentists. Further analyses with the use of chart review, administrative data sets, or other approaches are needed to better evaluate antibiotic prescribing practices among dentists. Copyright © 2018 American Dental Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All

Dentists' use of behavioural management techniques and their attitudes towards treating paediatric patients with dental anxiety.

PubMed

Strøm, Kjetil; Rønneberg, Anne; Skaare, Anne B; Espelid, Ivar; Willumsen, Tiril

2015-08-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between dentists' education in treatment of dental anxiety (DA), dentists' attitudes towards patients with DA and dentists' use of BMT. An anonymous questionnaire was sent electronically to 611 dentists in the Public Dental Service in Norway. Statistical evaluation was done using cross tabulation with Chi square and logistic regression analyses. The response rate was 65 % (n = 391). About half of the respondents (53 %, n = 208) had followed postgraduate courses in treating patients with DA. The following were the most common attitudes towards treating young patients with DA: it feels like making a contribution (72 %, n = 286), it is difficult or tiresome (54 %, n = 215) and it is a positive challenge (51 %, n = 203). Dentists who had taken postgraduate courses in DA more often reported anxious patients as a positive challenge (60 vs. 42 %, p < 0.001) and were less reluctant to treat these patients (5 vs. 15 %, p = 0.002). The most frequently used BMT was tell-show-do (87 %, n = 340), followed by relaxation (35 %, n = 132), distraction (25 %, n = 94), systematic cognitive behaviour therapy (22 %, n = 84) and conscious sedation (18 %, n = 69). Dentists without postgraduate courses in DA used fewer techniques when treating these patients (OR 2.1, 95 % CI 1.3-3.3, p = 0.001) compared with dentists who had taken these courses. Country of graduation and postgraduate courses in DA had a strong relationship with dentists' use of BMT and dentists' attitudes towards young patients with DA.

Angel or Devil? Dentists and Dental Students Conceptions of Pediatric Dental Patients through Metaphor Analysis.

PubMed

Buldur, B

The aim of this qualitative study was to identify the conceptions of dentists and dental students (DSs) about pediatric dental patients (PDPs) using metaphor analysis. The study group (N = 259) consisted of dentists and DSs. Participants completed the sentence "A pediatric dental patient is like ... because …..." in order to reveal the metaphors they use about the concept of PDPs. The data were analyzed using the mixed-methods: qualitative (metaphor analysis) and quantitative (chi-square) data analysis techniques. The dentists and DSs produced 259 metaphors. These metaphors were gathered under six different conceptual categories that define a PDP as unpredictable, dangerous, uncontrollable, requiring care and sensitivity, valuable, and orientable. The most important factors leading to these conceptions were the uncooperativeness of some PDPs and the effectiveness of behavior management. The results of this study indicate that there was no significant difference among DSs, general dentists and specialist dentists with respect to six conceptual categories that identify the conceptions about PDPs.

Child protection training, experience, and personal views of dentists in the prefecture of Attica, Greece.

PubMed

Laud, Alexandra; Gizani, Sotiria; Maragkou, Sygklitiki; Welbury, Richard; Papagiannoulis, Lisa

2013-01-01

The abuse and neglect of children constitutes a social phenomenon that unfortunately is widespread irrespective of geographic, ethnic, or social background. Dentists may be the first health professionals to recognize signs of child maltreatment (CM) and have an important role in dealing with such incidents. To describe the training, experience, and personal views of dentists practicing in the Prefecture of Attica regarding the recognition and referral of abused and neglected children. A random sample was drawn from a target population of dentists registered with two of the largest dental associations in Greece. The dental practitioners were interviewed by two paediatric dentists using a specially designed questionnaire. Information was collected regarding their awareness on child maltreatment, the frequency of suspected incidents as well as the reasons for not reporting them. With a response rate of 83%, findings are reported from 368 interviews (54% male, mean age 43 years). Only 21% of respondents had received training on child protection at undergraduate level. Suspected abuse was 13% and suspected neglect was 35%. Only six of the 368 respondents made an official report of a suspected case of child maltreatment. The most common reason that might prevent a dentist from reporting a case was doubt over the diagnosis (44%). Ninety-seven per cent of dentists believed that recognition and referral of incidents should be part of undergraduate training. Dental practitioners did not feel adequately informed on recognizing and referring child abuse and neglect cases. The low percentage of reported incidents and the lack of legislation indicate a great need for continuously educating dentists on child maltreatment as well as for setting up an organized system in Greece for reporting such incidents to protect the dentist referring the case as well as the child being victimized. © 2012 The Authors. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry © 2012 BSPD, IAPD and

Mental health professional shortage areas in rural Appalachia.

PubMed

Hendryx, Michael

2008-01-01

Research on health disparities in Appalachia has rarely compared Appalachia to other geographic areas in such a way as to isolate possible Appalachian effects. This study tests hypotheses that nonmetropolitan Appalachia will have higher levels of mental health professional shortage areas than other nonmetropolitan areas of the same states, but that these disparities will dissipate when accounting for social and economic differences. The study analyzed secondary data for nonmetropolitan counties (N = 618) in the 13 Appalachian states. Appalachian counties were identified from the Appalachian Regional Commission designations. Mental health professional shortages were identified from Health Resources and Services Administration data. Area Resource File data were used to measure county-level income, education, uninsurance, unemployment, race/ethnicity percentages, and urban influence codes. Logistic regression models tested whether Appalachia was significantly associated with shortage areas, and whether the Appalachian effect persisted after accounting for social and economic covariates. Seventy percent of Appalachian nonmetropolitan counties were mental health professional shortage areas, significantly higher than non-Appalachian, nonmetropolitan counties in the same states. The Appalachian effect did not persist after controlling for the full set of other variables; education and race/ethnicity emerged as significant predictors. Appalachia location is associated with mental health professional shortages, but this effect is driven by underlying social differences, in particular by lower education. This method of identifying Appalachia for comparative purposes may be applied to many other health services research questions and to other defined geographic regions.

Dentists, antibiotics and Clostridium difficile-associated disease.

PubMed

Beacher, N; Sweeney, M P; Bagg, J

2015-09-25

Dentists prescribe significant volumes of antimicrobial drugs within primary care settings. There is good evidence that many of the prescriptions are not justified by current clinical guidance and that that there is considerable misuse of these drugs in dentistry. One of the risks associated with antibiotic administration is Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD), an entity of which many healthcare workers, including dentists, have little knowledge or understanding. This review seeks to identify the extent and nature of the problem and provides an up to date summary of current views on CDAD, with particular reference to community acquired disease. As for all healthcare workers, scrupulous attention to standard infection control procedures and reducing inappropriate antibiotic prescribing are essential to reduce the risks of CDAD, prevent emergence of further resistant strains of microorganisms and maintain the value of the arsenal of antibiotics currently available to us.

Concordance between patient satisfaction and the dentist's view: findings from The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network.

PubMed

Riley, Joseph L; Gordan, Valeria V; Hudak-Boss, Susan E; Fellows, Jeffery L; Rindal, D Brad; Gilbert, Gregg H

2014-04-01

In this study, the authors examined the dentist's view of the patient's experience and concordance with the patient's rating of satisfaction. Practitioners from 197 practices in The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network recruited consecutively seen patients who had defective restorations that were replaced or repaired. At the end of the dental visit, the treating dentist and 5,315 patients completed and returned a survey that asked about the patient's satisfaction. Most dentists viewed their patients as having been satisfied with the treatment experience (n = 4,719 [89 percent]) and as having perceived them as friendly (n = 5,136 [97 percent]). Dentists had less strong feelings about whether patients had a preference for the restorative material (n = 2,271 [43 percent]) or an interest in obtaining information about the procedure (n = 1,757 [33 percent]). Overall, patients were satisfied, and most of the time dentists correctly predicted this outcome. Among patients who were less than satisfied, there was a substantial subset of cases in which dentists were not aware of this dissatisfaction. For improved patient-centered care, dentists should assess patients' desires, expectations and perceptions of the dental care experience and then manage or correct the expectations and perceptions as needed. By taking a patient-centered approach, dentists should seek to understand how patients evaluate and rate the services provided, thereby enabling them to focus on what each patient values most.

Assessment of risk factors and preventive measures and their relations to work-related musculoskeletal pain among dentists.

PubMed

Pejčić, Nataša; Petrović, Vanja; Marković, Dejan; Miličić, Biljana; Dimitrijević, Ivana Ilić; Perunović, Neda; Čakić, Saša

2017-01-01

Dentists have a high prevalence of musculoskeletal (MS) pain, which is the most common symptom associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). To overcome this problem, identification of the risk factors and preventive measures for MS pain are of paramount importance to dentists in order to improve their quality of life and work. The aims of this study were to recognize the risk factors for MS pain and their impact on dental work, as well as to identify preventive measures of MS pain among dentists. Self-reporting questionnaire consisting of 78 questions was exclusively developed for the study and sent to 500 working active dentists in Serbia. Response rate was 71.2% (356 dentists). The prevalence of MS pain was 82.6% among dentists. The main risk factors for MS pain were advanced age, female dentists, presence of chronic diseases, long working hours, and high frequency of treated patients. The most effective preventive measures in preventing MS pain were massage treatments and physical activities. Followed by use of ergonomically designed equipment, correct and dynamic working positions, and an adequate workflow organization. The risk factors for MS pain and their impact on dental work should widely be disseminated among dentists. Importantly, proper implementation in everyday life of adequate preventive measures is essential for preventing MS pain and development of WMSDs.

Dentists' use of validated child dental anxiety measures in clinical practice: a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Alshammasi, Hussain; Buchanan, Heather; Ashley, Paul

2018-01-01

Assessing anxiety is an important part of the assessment of a child presenting for dental treatment; however, the use of dental anxiety scales in practice is not well-documented. To introduce child dental anxiety scales, and to monitor the extent to which dentists used them; to explore the experience and views of dentists regarding anxiety assessment. A mixed-methods design was employed. A protocol for child anxiety assessment was introduced to paediatric dentists in Eastman Dental Hospital. After 6 months, 100 patient files were audited to examine compliance with the protocol. Fourteen dentists were interviewed to explore their experience and views regarding anxiety assessment. Only five patients were assessed using the scales. Thematic analysis of the dentist interviews revealed three themes: 'Clinical observations and experience: The gold standard'; 'Scales as an estimate or adjunct'; and 'Shortcomings and barriers to using scales'. The dentists in our study did not use anxiety scales, instead they rely on their own experience/judgement. Therefore, scales should be recommended as an adjunct to judgement. Brief scales are recommended as clinicians lack time and expertise in administering anxiety questionnaires. Advantages of using scales and hands-on experience could be incorporated more in undergraduate training. © 2017 BSPD, IAPD and John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Digital radiography: a survey of pediatric dentists.

PubMed

Russo, Julie M; Russo, James A; Guelmann, Marcio

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to: (1) determine the popularity of digital radiography among members of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD); and (2) report the most common systems in use. An AAPD-approved, voluntary, and anonymous electronic survey was developed and sent to 923 board certified pediatric dentists. Years in practice and in-office x-ray technology (digital or conventional) were inquired about initially. If negative for the use of digital radiography, future consideration for converting to digital radiography was ascertained. For positive responses, more in-depth information was requested. Information on type of system (sensor or phosphor plate), user friendliness, diagnostic ability, patient's comfort, general costs, durability, and parental and overall satisfaction was collected. For most of the questions, a 5-point assessment scale was used. Opportunity for additional comments was provided upon survey completion. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. A 32% (296/923) response rate was obtained. Twenty-six percent of practitioners (78/296) implemented digital radiography in their practices, whereas 71% considered future acquisition. Similar distribution for sensor and phosphor plate users was found. Sensor technology was reported to produce faster images, but was less tolerable by young children due to size and thickness. Phosphor plates were considered more children friendly, less expensive, and less durable. Parental satisfaction was very high with great marketing value. Picture quality was comparable to conventional film. Overall, digital radiography users would recommend it to other pediatric dentists. Digital radiography is not yet popular among pediatric dentists. Cost reduction and technology advancement may enhance utilization.

Health worker shortages in Zambia: an assessment of government responses.

PubMed

Gow, Jeff; George, Gavin; Mutinta, Given; Mwamba, Sylvia; Ingombe, Lutungu

2011-11-01

A dire health worker shortage in Zambia's national health programs is adversely impacting the quantity and quality of health care and posing a serious barrier to achieving Millennium Development Goals to improve population health. In 2005, Zambia's Ministry of Health developed a 10-year strategic plan for human resources for health to address the crisis through improved training, hiring, and retention. The plan has neither arrested nor reduced the shortage. We review the causes of the shortage, present results from a health worker survey showing that safe work conditions, manageable workloads, and career advancement opportunities matter more to respondents than financial compensation. We comment on the adequacy of government efforts to address the health worker shortage.

Self-reported occupational health problems among Libyan dentists.

PubMed

Arheiam, Arheiam; Ingafou, Mohamed

2015-01-01

To investigate the prevalence of the most common occupation-related health problems as well as factors associated with their incidence among dental practitioners. A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey of Libyan dental practitioners. Participants provided information regarding their experience of occupationally related problems they encountered over the past 12 months which included inquiries about musculoskeletal pain, percutaneous injuries, allergy, eye and sight problems, and hearing problems. Musculoskeletal problems were the most frequently reported (48.2%), followed by percutaneous injuries (35%), eye problems (22%), allergy (11%) and hearing problems (7.6%). Musculoskeletal problems were significantly higher among dentists who work in private sector, full timer as well as those who prefer to work in a sitting position (p=0.021, 0.027 and 0.008, respectively). Practitioners with less than 5 years in service reported significantly higher percentage of percutaneous injuries (p=0.027) than their senior counterparts, whereas practitioners who spent more than 10 years in service were more likely to suffer from visual disturbances (p=0.033). The findings of this study indicate that musculoskeletal problems and percutaneous injuries are the most commonly reported occupational health problems among dentists, whereas allergic reactions and hearing problems are the least reported ones. Dentists should use alternate working positions to minimise musculoskeletal problems and adopt more effective strategies to prevent percutaneous injuries particularly among novices.

Audit of dental practice record-keeping: a PCT-coordinated clinical audit by Worcestershire dentists.

PubMed

Cole, Andrew; McMichael, Alan

2009-07-01

A collaborative audit of clinical record-keeping standards was performed among Worcestershire dentists. Its aims were to improve the quality of National Health Service (NHS) patient care and to assist dentists to perform well during Dental Reference Service practice visits. Worcestershire dentists with NHS contracts were invited to take part in this audit. Each dentist audited a random selection of 30 of their dental clinical records against a common framework comprising eight domains. Record-keeping, and the presence or absence of key diagnostic and treatment planning details were recorded. Grading was applied in four categories, in which grades 1 and 2 were good (1) and adequate (2), captured on data-collection sheets and centrally analysed for frequency of each grade. Out of a total of 184 Worcestershire general dental practitioners, 161 (87.5%) submitted usable responses. The audit revealed wide variation between dentists in clinical record-keeping. The recording of soft tissues (36% below grade 2), periodontal status (30%), radiographic review (27%), and note-taking (25%) all fell below the standard that had been set (brackets show proportion not meeting the standard). The results provided baseline information about the standard of record-keeping in NHS dental practices in Worcestershire. The collaborative nature of the audit enabled dissemination of individual results to participants, to facilitate comparison (anonymously) against their peers. The audit provided impetus for the Primary Care Trust (PCT) to arrange postgraduate education on record-keeping and to raise awareness among local dentists about record-keeping. The subsequent report to dentists explored the record-keeping standards expected during practice inspections undertaken by the Dental Reference Service. Worcestershire PCT's method of collaborative dental audit could potentially replace the previous national programme of dental audit, formerly coordinated locally.

Satisfaction among early and mid-career dentists in a metropolitan dental hospital in China.

PubMed

Cui, Xiaoxi; Dunning, David G; An, Na

2017-01-01

A growing body of research has examined career satisfaction among dentists using a standardized instrument, dentist satisfaction survey (DSS). This project examined career satisfaction of early to mid-career dentists in China, a population whose career satisfaction, heretofore, has not been studied. This is an especially critical time to examine career satisfaction because of health care reform measures being implemented in China. A culturally sensitive Chinese-language version of the DSS (CDSS) was developed and electronically administered to 367 early and mid-career dentists in a tertiary dental hospital in Beijing, China. One hundred and seventy respondents completed the survey. The average total career score was 123, with a range of 82-157. Data analysis showed some significant differences in total career score and several subscales based on gender, working hours per week, and years in practice. A stepwise regression model revealed that two variables predicted total career score: working hours per week and gender. Stepwise regression also demonstrated that four subscales significantly predicted the overall professional satisfaction subscale score: respect, delivery of care, income and patient relations. Implications of these results are discussed in light of the health care delivery system and dentist career paths in China.

Survey of UK dentists regarding the use of CAD/CAM technology.

PubMed

Tran, D; Nesbit, M; Petridis, H

2016-11-18

Statement of the problem Digital workflows (CAD/CAM) have been introduced in dentistry during recent years. No published information exists on dentists' use and reporting of this technology.Purpose The purpose of this survey was to identify the infiltration of CAD/CAM technology in UK dental practices and to investigate the relationship of various demographic factors to the answers regarding use or non-use of this technology.Materials and methods One thousand and thirty-one online surveys were sent to a sample of UK dentists composing of both users and non-users of CAD/CAM. It aimed to reveal information regarding type of usage, materials, perceived benefits, barriers to access, and disadvantages of CAD/CAM dentistry. Statistical analysis was undertaken to test the influence of various demographic variables such as country of work, dentist experience, level of training and type of work (NHS or private).Results The number of completed responses totalled 385. Most of the respondents did not use any part of a digital workflow, and the main barriers to CAD/CAM use were initial costs and a lack of perceived benefit over conventional methods. Dentists delivering mostly private work were most likely to have adopted CAD/CAM technology (P <0.001). Further training also correlated with a greater likelihood of CAD/CAM usage (P <0.001). Most users felt that the technology had led to a change in the use of dental materials, leading to increased use of, for example, zirconia and lithium disilicate. Most users were trained either by companies or self-trained, and a third felt that their training was insufficient. The majority of respondents (89%) felt that CAD/CAM had a big role to play in the future.Conclusion Most of the respondents did not use any part of a digital workflow. However, the majority of surveyed dentists were interested in incorporating CAD/CAM into their workflow, while most believed that it will have a big role in the future. There are still some concerns from

Problems associated with restorative materials--dentists' views in Finland and Sweden.

PubMed

Widström, E; Sundberg, H

1991-01-01

During the past 10-15 years the possible side-effects of dental restorative materials, especially due to amalgam fillings, have caused a lively debate in Sweden. There is an extensive literature on the chemical and biological properties of dental materials but no investigations have dealt with the providers' attitudes. The purpose of this study was to find out the dentists' experiences of and attitudes to patients who state they have problems related to dental restorative materials and compare the dentists' subjective assessments of those side-effects in two neighboring countries, Finland and Sweden. Information was collected by postal questionnaires addressed to dentists chosen at random in Finland (n = 625) and in Sweden (n = 960). The response rate was 73 per cent and 72 per cent respectively. The results showed that 99 per cent of the respondents had patients questioning the safety of dental materials. The number of such patients was estimated to be three times higher in Sweden (124 patients per dentist in 1989) than in Finland (39 patients per dentist). More than 90 per cent of the questions from the patients regarded amalgam fillings. Statistically significant differences were found between the respondents' opinions of amalgam, 81 per cent of the Finnish contrary to 59 per cent of the Swedish respondents considered the risk of side-effects to be low when using this material. About 90 per cent of the respondents considered glass-ionomer, gold and ceramic restorations safe, but only half of them were convinced of the safety of composite. A great majority of the Swedish respondents (79 per cent) claimed that the patients should get their fillings changed without odontologic indications if they insisted on it and paid for the treatment in comparison to 22 per cent of the Finnish respondents (p less than 0.001). In case dental insurance was to pay for this kind of treatment it was accepted by 6 per cent of the Finns and 25 per cent of the Swedes. The attitude to

A critical review of the nursing shortage in Malaysia.

PubMed

Barnett, T; Namasivayam, P; Narudin, D A A

2010-03-01

This paper describes and critically reviews steps taken to address the nursing workforce shortage in Malaysia. To address the shortage and to build health care capacity, Malaysia has more than doubled its nursing workforce over the past decade, primarily through an increase in the domestic supply of new graduates. Government reports, policy documents and ministerial statements were sourced from the Ministry of Health Malaysia website and reviewed and analysed in the context of the scholarly literature published about the health care workforce in Malaysia and more generally about the global nursing shortage. An escalation in student numbers and the unprecedented number of new graduates entering the workforce has been associated with other impacts that have been responded to symptomatically rather than through workplace reform. Whilst growing the domestic supply of nurses is a critical key strategy to address workforce shortages, steps should also be taken to address structural and other problems of the workplace to support both new graduates and the retention of more experienced staff. Nursing shortages should not be tackled by increasing the supply of new graduates alone. The creation of a safe and supportive work environment is important to the long-term success of current measures taken to grow the workforce and retain nurses within the Malaysian health care system.

Physical therapy workforce shortage for aging and aged societies in Thailand.

PubMed

Kraiwong, Ratchanok; Vongsirinavarat, Mantana; Soonthorndhada, Kusol

2014-07-01

According to demographic changes, the size of the aging population has rapidly increased. Thailand has been facing the "aging society" since 2005 and the "aged society" has been projected to appear by the year 2025. Increased life expectancy is associated with health problems and risks, specifically chronic diseases and disability. Aging and aged societies and related specific conditions as stroke require the provision of services from health professionals. The shortage of the physical therapy workforce in Thailand has been reported. This study investigated the size of physical therapy workforce required for the approaching aging society of Thailand and estimated the number of needed physical therapists, specifically regarding stroke condition. Evidently, the issue of the physical therapy workforce to serve aging and aged societies in Thailand requires advocating and careful arranging.

Burnout and occupational participation among dentists with teaching responsibilities in universities.

PubMed

Huri, Meral; Bağiş, Nilsun; Eren, Hakan; Başibüyük, Onur; Şahin, Sedef; Umaroğlu, Mutlu; Orhan, Kaan

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the levels of burnout and explore the relationships between burnout and occupational participation among dentists with teaching responsibilities. Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) was used to evaluate occupational participation with questions on demographic information among 155 dentists with teaching responsibilities. Age, gender, years of experience, academic position were the factors affecting level of burnout and occupational participation. Occupational performance score was negatively correlated with emotional exhausment (r = -.731) and depersonalization (r = -.693) while positively correlated with personal accomplishment (r = .611). Occupational satisfaction scores were negatively correlated with emotional exhausment (r = -.631) and depersonalization (r = -.625) while positively correlated with personal accomplishment (r = .614). Occupational participation level can effect burnout among dentists with teaching responsibilities. Further studies with a larger sample are needed to investigate these preliminary results deeply.

What's the deal with dental records for practicing dentists? Importance in general and forensic dentistry

PubMed Central

Devadiga, Arishka

2014-01-01

Dental records are essential for dentist and patient protection, and its maintenance is considered an ethical and legal obligation of the dentist: Ethical, because it satisfies the duty of care that the dentist has toward his patient and legal, as it is an investment for future protection against medico-legal complications. In addition to its legal and ethical role, the dental fraternity in India is slowly waking up to its importance in forensic dentistry. Dentists could play a vital role in assisting forensic investigators in providing information that would help in the identification of perpetrators or victims of crime and natural or manmade disaster situations. This information would be easily available and accessible through well-maintained patient records under dental care. PMID:24695875

Viewpoints of dentists on the use of bisphosphonates in rheumatology patients.

PubMed

Daron, Coline; Deschaumes, Christophe; Soubrier, Martin; Mathieu, Sylvain

2018-02-15

Alhough typically prescribed in oncology, bisphosphonates (BPs) are also employed in rheumatology, particularly for the treatment of osteoporosis, sometimes resulting in complications, such as osteonecrosis of the jaw. Because of different opinions between rheumatologists and dentists on BP use, this study aimed to assess the views of dentists regarding administration of BPs in rheumatology. A questionnaire was sent to 880 dentists from the Auvergne region of France to determine their views on BP treatment. We obtained 382 (43.4%) responses and analysed 376 (58.7% men). In total, 156 (41.5%) of the responders analysed had attended an in-service training course (ISTC) on the topic. A total of 237 (63.0%) systematically inquired as to whether their patients were undergoing BP treatment; this proportion was higher among those who had been practicing for fewer than 10 years (P < 0.004). For patients receiving BPs, 84.5% of practitioners felt ill at ease about performing dental surgery (n = 318) and 11% felt ill at ease about performing nonsurgical dental care (n = 41); 67% stated that their practice differed depending on the method of BP administration (per os or intravenously). Overall, 53.7% of practitioners felt uncomfortable when asked by a rheumatologist whether a given patient's dental status permitted prescription of BP (n = 202). This proportion was higher among those who had never attended an ISTC (62.6% vs. 50.7%; P < 0.03). Dentists feel ill at ease providing dental surgery to patients receiving BPs. Closer collaboration and better information-sharing between rheumatologists and dentists is necessary to facilitate the administration of BPs in rheumatology. © 2018 FDI World Dental Federation.

Characterization of Hearing Thresholds from 500 to 16,000 Hz in Dentists: A Comparative Study

PubMed Central

Gonçalves, Claudia Giglio de Oliveira; Santos, Luciana; Lobato, Diolen; Ribas, Angela; Lacerda, Adriana Bender Moreira; Marques, Jair

2014-01-01

Introduction High-level noise exposure in dentists' workplaces may cause damages to the auditory systems. High-frequency audiometry is an important tool in the investigation in the early diagnosis of hearing loss. Objectives To analyze the auditory thresholds at frequencies from 500 to 16,000 Hz of dentists in the city of Curitiba. Methods This historic cohort study retrospectively tested hearing thresholds from 500 to 16,000 Hz with a group of dentists from Curitiba, in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Eighty subjects participated in the study, separated into a dentist group and a control group, with the same age range and gender across groups but with no history of occupational exposure to high levels of sound pressure in the control group. Subjects were tested with conventional audiometry and high-frequency audiometry and answered a questionnaire about exposure to noise. Results Results showed that 81% of dentists did not receive any information regarding noise at university; 6 (15%) dentists had sensorineural hearing impairment; significant differences were observed between the groups only at frequencies of 500 Hz and 1,000, 6,000 and 8,000 Hz in the right ear. There was no significant difference between the groups after analysis of mean hearing thresholds of high frequencies with the average hearing thresholds in conventional frequencies; subjects who had been working as dentists for longer than 10 years had worse tonal hearing thresholds at high frequencies. Conclusions In this study, we observed that dentists are at risk for the development of sensorineural hearing loss especially after 10 years of service. PMID:25992172

Projection of the dental workforce from 2011 to 2020, based on the actual workload of 6762 dentists in 2010 in Taiwan.

PubMed

Huang, Chiung Shing; Cher, Tsang-Lie; Lin, Chun-Pin; Wu, Kai-Ming

2013-09-01

Planning of the dental workforce, especially the number of dentists, requires the data of actual dental workloads. This study attempts to make projections of the dental workforce from 2011 to 2020, based on a survey of the actual workload of 6762 dentists in 2010. In 2010, a database of 11,449 current dentists was retrieved from the file of Department of Health, Executive Yuan, Taipei, Taiwan. Questionnaires with the information of each dentist and 10 questions regarding the actual workload were sent to each dentist with a return envelope. The actual workload of the dentists who returned the questionnaires was analyzed. A projection of dental workforce from 2011 to 2020 was calculated, based on the actual workload. An analysis of the actual dental workload was conducted on 6762 (59.1%) returned questionnaires. The dentist-to-population ratio (defined as the number of dentists per 10,000 people) was 5.0 in 2010. The supply of 400 dentists per year remained constant from 2006 to 2010, and is expected to be sustained for the next 10 years. Because the population of Taiwan will begin to decrease within the next 10 years, we estimate that the dentist-to-population ratio will increase to 6.0 by the year 2020 or earlier. After adjusting for working hours, working days, and gender differences, surplus dentists will number approximately 1069 in 2020. An oversupply of dentists and a decrease in population will result in a surplus of dentists. To make better projections of the dental workforce, surplus dentists can be arranged to care for the aged, disabled people, and underserved people. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Communicating with the New Generations. The Challenge for Pediatric Dentists.

PubMed

Saadia, Marc; Valencia, Roberto

2015-01-01

Most of the children and parents are virtuous and will give us plenty of reasons to enjoy what we do. Unfortunately, we all know that something is somehow wrong with these new generations. Parents and children sometimes place Pediatric dentists in a dilemma. The social structure changes every few years causing a burden on how to deal with these families. For this reason, dentists might decide to sedate or go to the operating room when these children might be potentially good dental patients. Deciding this course of action, does not allow us to bond with them. Bonding with children must be worked and nurtured. This is part of what pediatric dentists are trained for. This manuscript will illustrate the major changes seen with the new generations of parents and children and how it affects us the way we work in our offices. We will show the importance of bonding with parents and children, moving beyond the biological aspects and venturing into the psycho-socio and cultural issues. Knowing our children and adolescents will allow us to detect potential physical or emotional hazardous behavior.

The Fabrazyme shortage--a call to action for metabolic physicians.

PubMed

Sirrs, Sandra

2011-01-01

The recent shortages of enzyme replacement therapy for Fabry disease have highlighted areas of vulnerability for patients who require this treatment. Guidelines on allocation of limited stock of enzyme replacement therapy are of use for clinicians dealing with the current shortages. However, the community of metabolic physicians must advocate for changes that will minimize the impact of future drug shortages for their patients with lysosomal storage diseases. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Defining Primary Care Shortage Areas: Do GIS-based Measures Yield Different Results?

PubMed

Daly, Michael R; Mellor, Jennifer M; Millones, Marco

2018-02-12

To examine whether geographic information systems (GIS)-based physician-to-population ratios (PPRs) yield determinations of geographic primary care shortage areas that differ from those based on bounded-area PPRs like those used in the Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designation process. We used geocoded data on primary care physician (PCP) locations and census block population counts from 1 US state to construct 2 shortage area indicators. The first is a bounded-area shortage indicator defined without GIS methods; the second is a GIS-based measure that measures the populations' spatial proximity to PCP locations. We examined agreement and disagreement between bounded shortage areas and GIS-based shortage areas. Bounded shortage area indicators and GIS-based shortage area indicators agree for the census blocks where the vast majority of our study populations reside. Specifically, 95% and 98% of the populations in our full and urban samples, respectively, reside in census blocks where the 2 indicators agree. Although agreement is generally high in rural areas (ie, 87% of the rural population reside in census blocks where the 2 indicators agree), agreement is significantly lower compared to urban areas. One source of disagreement suggests that bounded-area measures may "overlook" some shortages in rural areas; however, other aspects of the HPSA designation process likely mitigate this concern. Another source of disagreement arises from the border-crossing problem, and it is more prevalent. The GIS-based PPRs we employed would yield shortage area determinations that are similar to those based on bounded-area PPRs defined for Primary Care Service Areas. Disagreement rates were lower than previous studies have found. © 2018 National Rural Health Association.

Knowledge, awareness, and behaviors of endocrinologists and dentists for the relationship between diabetes and periodontitis.

PubMed

Lin, Hanxiao; Zhang, Hua; Yan, Yuxia; Liu, Duan; Zhang, Ruyi; Liu, Yeungyeung; Chen, Pei; Zhang, Jincai; Xuan, Dongying

2014-12-01

This study aimed to compare the opinions of dentists and endocrinologists regarding diabetes mellitus (DM) and periodontitis, and to investigate the possible effects on their practice. Cross-sectional data were collected from 297 endocrinologists and 134 dentists practicing in southern China using two separated questionnaires. Questions were close-ended or Likert-scaled. Statistical analyses were done by descriptive statistics, bivariate and binary logistic regression analysis. Compared with endocrinologists, dentists presented more favorable attitudes for the relationship of DM and periodontitis (P<0.001). 61.2% of dentists reported they would frequently refer patients with severe periodontitis for DM evaluation, while only 26.6% of endocrinologists reported they would frequently advise patients with DM to visit a dentist. Nearly all of the respondents (94.4%) agreed that the interdisciplinary collaboration should be strengthened. The logistic regression analysis exhibited that respondents with more favorable attitudes were more likely to advise a dental visit (P=0.003) or to screen for DM (P=0.006). Endocrinologists and dentists are not equally equipped with the knowledge about the relationship between DM and periodontitis, and there is a wide gap between their practice and the current evidence, especially for endocrinologists. It's urgent to take measures to develop the interdisciplinary education and collaboration among the health care providers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Patient preference for a racially or gender-concordant student dentist.

PubMed

Bender, Daniel J

2007-06-01

Disparities in health and health care due to race and ethnicity are a national problem. One commonly proposed method to address disparities is to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in the health professions to serve the needs of growing minority populations. This position is based in part on the racial concordance hypothesis, an untested assumption that minority patients prefer to be treated by providers of the same race as themselves. The purpose of this study was to test the racial concordance hypothesis. Gender preference of dental patients was also investigated. One hundred twenty male and female Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, and Asian dental patients over eighteen were recruited from the reception area of a private dental school clinic in Northern California. Participants were randomly assigned to a treatment condition that gave them a choice between two equally qualified fictitious dental students that varied on race and gender. Participants were initially blinded to the study's purpose to preserve the authenticity of the choice decision. Results showed that 58 percent of the participants had no preference for the race or gender of their student dentist, but that some black and Hispanic patients preferred a racially concordant student dentist and some female patients preferred a gender-concordant student dentist. Hispanic females were especially likely to prefer racial and gender concordance. The findings suggest that the racial concordance hypothesis may not apply to choosing a dentist and thus may not be as strong an argument to justify efforts to increase diversity in dental schools as previously thought.

Use of clinical practice guidelines by dentists: findings from the Japanese dental practice-based research network.

PubMed

Kakudate, Naoki; Yokoyama, Yoko; Sumida, Futoshi; Matsumoto, Yuki; Gordan, Valeria V; Gilbert, Gregg H

2017-02-01

The objectives of this study were to: (1) examine differences in the use of dental clinical practice guidelines among Japanese dentists, and (2) identify characteristics associated with the number of guidelines used by participating dentists. We conducted a cross-sectional study consisting of a questionnaire survey in Japan between July 2014 and May 2015. The study queried dentists working in outpatient dental practices who are affiliated with the Dental Practice-Based Research Network Japan (n = 148). They were asked whether they have used each of 15 Japanese dental clinical guidelines. Associations between the number of guidelines used by participants and specific characteristics were analysed via negative binomial regression analysis. The mean number of guidelines used by participating dentists was 2.5 ± 2.9 [standard deviation (SD)]. Rate of use of guidelines showed substantial variation, from 5% to 34% among dentists. The proportion of dentists that used guidelines was the highest among oral medicine specialists, who had the highest proportion for 10 of 15 guidelines. Negative binomial regression analysis identified three factors significantly associated with the number of guidelines used: 'years since graduation from dental school', 'specialty practice' and 'practice busyness'. These results suggest that the use of clinical practice guidelines by Japanese dentists may still be inadequate. Training in the use of the guidelines could be given to dental students as undergraduate education and to young clinicians as continuing education. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Access to Dental Care for Rural Children: A Survey of Nebraska General Dentists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McFarland, Kimberly K.; Salama, Fouad; Yaseen, Muhammad

2011-01-01

Background: Pediatric dentists are too few in number to care for all children. Therefore, the level of pediatric dental services provided by general dentists, especially in rural areas, is crucial to improving the dental health of children. Purpose: The objectives of the study were to establish a baseline in regard to the quantity of pediatric…

Comparing esthetic smile perceptions among laypersons with and without orthodontic treatment experience and dentists

PubMed Central

An, Seong-Mu; Choi, Sun-Young; Chung, Young-Wook; Jang, Tae-Ho

2014-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine whether orthodontic treatment experience affects the individual's perception of smile esthetics and to evaluate differences among orthodontically treated laypersons, non-treated laypersons, and dentists by using computerized image alterations. Methods A photograph of a woman's smile was digitally altered using a software image editing program. The alterations involved gingival margin height, crown width and length, incisal plane canting, and dental midline of the maxillary anterior teeth. Three groups of raters (orthodontically treated laypersons, non-treated laypersons, and dentists) evaluated the original and altered images using a visual analog scale. Results The threshold for detecting changes in maxillary central incisor gingival margin height among laypersons was 1.5 mm; the threshold of dentists, who were more perceptive, was 1.0 mm. For maxillary lateral incisor crown width and height, the threshold of all three groups was 3.0 mm. Canting of the incisal plane was perceived when the canting was 3.0 mm among non-treated laypersons, 2.0 mm among treated laypersons, and 1.0 mm among dentists. Non-treated laypersons could not perceive dental midline shifts; however, treated laypersons and dentists perceived them when the shift was ≥ 3.0 mm. Conclusions Laypersons with and without orthodontic treatment experience and dentists have different perceptions of smile esthetics. Orthodontically treated laypersons were more critical than non-treated laypersons regarding incisal plane canting and dental midline shifts. Based on these findings, it is suggested that orthodontic treatment experience improved the esthetic perceptions of laypersons. PMID:25473645

Knowledge of HIV and willingness to conduct oral rapid HIV testing among dentists in Xi'an China.

PubMed

Wang, Lirong; Santella, Anthony J; Huang, Ruizhe; Kou, Lingling; You, Lijuan; Zhang, Xiaona; Wang, Shu; Wang, Jingyao; Gao, Longfei; Yin, Juan; Zhuang, Guihua

2015-01-01

China is considered a country of low HIV prevalence (780,000 people living with HIV), however, HIV infections among high-risk populations continue to grow at alarming rates. Voluntary Counseling and Testing services were first implemented in 2003, and oral rapid HIV testing (ORHT) began in 2012. Dentists, as oral health experts, would be well placed to conduct ORHT. We assessed willingness of dentists to undertake ORHT in their clinical practice. A cross-sectional, paper-based survey of dentists from the Xi'an region of China was conducted from April to June 2013. Dentists were recruited from Shaanxi Stomatological Association using a stratified sampling methodology. A 40-item survey was used to measure knowledge of HIV, attitudes toward people living with HIV and willingness to conduct ORHT. 477 dentists completed the survey with a mean HIV knowledge test score of 13.2/18 (SD 1.9). If made available in the dental setting, 276 (57.9%) preferred to use blood to diagnose HIV, only 190 (39.8%) preferred saliva or both. Four hundred and thirty-five (91.2%) thought that ORHT was needed in dental clinics. Female dentists felt more accepting of ORHT than males (93.8% vs. 87.8%; χ2=5.145; p<0.05). 42.6% of the participants who responded thought that lack of education on ORHT for dentists was the most urgent problem to solve for ORHT, 144 (31.3%) thought that lack of support for ORHT from patients was the most urgent problem. There was statistically significant difference among dental hospital, dentistry and department of dentistry (χ2=24.176; p<0.05). The majority of Chinese dentists thought that ORHT was needed in the dental setting. Providing opportunities for dentists and dental students to learn about HIV testing guidelines and practices is needed as well as feasibility and implementation science research.

Patient demand for smoking cessation advice in dentist offices after introduction of graphic health warnings in Australia.

PubMed

Afifah, Rm; Schwarz, E

2008-09-01

The effectiveness of smoking cessation intervention by dentists has not been conclusively established. This study aimed to investigate whether the inclusion of graphic health warning pictures (including mouth and throat cancer) as part of the Australian National Tobacco Campaign strategy would elicit measurably increased demand for smoking cessation advice in dental practices. A cross-sectional survey of private dental practices in New South Wales, Australia. Separate questionnaires were answered by dentists and patients from their practice. Questions comprised smoking practices and attitudes toward smoking cessation activities in dental practice. The majority of dentists (85.7 per cent; n = 29) and dental patients (92.4 per cent; n = 800) recalled seeing the graphic health warnings, with mouth and throat cancer the most commonly observed. Television was the main medium. Nineteen per cent of dental patients (n = 152) reported themselves as current smokers. Half of them were planning to quit within six months (49.7 per cent) and agreed that graphic health warnings made them more likely to quit (47.7 per cent). Dentists showed positive attitudes toward cessation activities but believed many patients lacked motivation to quit smoking; a perception that was seen to be the main barrier in offering smoking cessation advice. Forty per cent of smokers would try to quit if asked by their dentists, but only 28.4 per cent preferred a dentist for cessation advice. In general, dentists found no change in demand for smoking cessation advice since the launch of the National Tobacco Campaign in 2006. Health warning pictures seemed to increase the patients' awareness and intention to quit smoking, however it did not appear to generate more demand for smoking cessation advice from their dentists. Dentists had low expectations about their patients' motivation to stop smoking.

What's in a dental practice-based research network? Characteristics of Northwest PRECEDENT dentists, their patients and office visits.

PubMed

DeRouen, Timothy A; Cunha-Cruz, Joana; Hilton, Thomas J; Ferracane, Jack; Berg, Joel; Zhou, Lingmei; Rothen, Marilynn

2010-07-01

The authors conducted a study to describe the general dentists, practices, patients and patient care patterns of the dental practice-based research network (PBRN) Northwest Practice-based REsearch Collaborative in Evidence-based DENTistry (PRECEDENT). Northwest PRECEDENT is a dental PBRN of general and pediatric dentists and orthodontists from five U.S. states in the Northwest: Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington. The authors collected data from general dentists in Northwest PRECEDENT (n = 101) regarding the diagnosis and treatment of oral diseases in a survey with a systematic random sample of patients (N = 1,943) visiting their practices. They also obtained demographic data from the general dentists and their patients. The authors found that 50 percent of the general dentists were 51 to 60 years of age, 14 percent were female and 76 percent were non-Hispanic white. More than one-half (55 percent) of the dentists had practiced dentistry for more than 20 years, 83 percent had private solo practices and 32 percent practiced in rural community settings. The majority (71 percent) of patients visiting the dental practices was in the age range of 18 to 64 years, 55 percent were female and 84 percent were non-Hispanic white. In terms of reasons for seeking dental care, 52 percent of patients overall visited the dentist for oral examinations, checkups, prophylaxis or caries-preventive treatment. In the preceding year, 85 percent of the patients had received prophylaxis, 49 percent restorative treatments, 34 percent caries-preventive treatments and 10 percent endodontic treatments. Northwest PRECEDENT general dentists are dispersed geographically and are racially and ethnically diverse, owing in part to efforts by network administrators and coordinators to enroll minority dentists and those who practice in rural areas. Estimates of characteristics of dentists and patients in Northwest PRECEDENT will be valuable in planning future studies of oral diseases and

Oral health literacy: awareness and practices among pediatric dentists.

PubMed

Stowers, Megan E; Lee, Jessica Y; Majewski, Robert F; Estrella, Maria Regina P; Taylor, George W; Boynton, James R

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine pediatric dentists' awareness and experiences with oral health literacy and to identify communication techniques used with parents. Active North American members of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry were invited to participate in the survey. Descriptive statistical analyses were completed, and Pearson's chi-square crosstabs tests were used to compare categorical data between groups. Data were collected from 22 percent (N=1,059) of pediatric dentists; 68 to 87 percent use basic communication techniques routinely, while 36 to 79 percent routinely use enhanced communication techniques. Approximately 59 percent (N=620) reported having had an experience with health literacy miscommunication, while 11 percent (N=116) are aware of an error in patient care that resulted from oral health literacy miscommunication. Respondents who have had an experience with miscommunication were significantly more likely statistically to perceive barriers to effective communication as more significant than those without a history of miscommunication experience (P<.001). Most pediatric dentists have experienced situations in which a parent has misunderstood information. Basic communication techniques were most commonly used, while enhanced communication techniques were used less routinely. Those who have had experience with oral health literacy miscommunication events perceive barriers to effective communication as more significant.

The importance of workforce surveillance, research evidence and political advocacy in the context of international migration of dentists.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, M; Brennan, D S; Spencer, A J; Watkins, K; Short, S D

2015-03-01

The international migration of dentists is an issue of pressing significance that poses several complex policy challenges. Policy-making is mainly constrained by the lack of workforce surveillance, research evidence and political advocacy - all three are required to work together, yet with different purposes. We first discuss the inconsistencies in migrant dentist surveillance in major country-level governmental systems (immigration departments, dentist registration authorities and workforce agencies). We argue that the limitations in surveillance collections affect independent research and in turn scholarly contributions to dental workforce policy. Differences in country-level surveillance collections also hinder valid cross-country comparisons on migrant dentist data, impeding global policy efforts. Due to these limitations, advocacy, or the political process to influence health policy, suffers, but is integral to future challenges on dentist migration. Country-level advocacy is best targeted at improving migrant dentist surveillance systems. Research interest can be invigorated through targeted funding allocations for migration research and by improving the availability of dentist surveillance data for research purposes. At the global level, the WHOs global code of practice for international recruitment of health personnel (a crucial advocacy tool) needs to be strengthened. Global organisations such as the FDI World Dental Federation have an important role to play in advocating for improved migrant dentist workforce surveillance and research evidence, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

Interest in dental implantology and preferences for implant therapy: a survey of Victorian dentists.

PubMed

Cheung, M C; Kao, Plh; Lee, N; Sivathasan, D; Vong, C W; Zhu, J; Polster, A; Darby, I

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to gauge dentists' interest, knowledge and training in implantology, and to compare their treatment preferences with current literature. Subsequently, this information may be used to evaluate implantology education pathways. A cross-sectional postal survey of 600 randomly selected dentists registered with the Dental Practice Board of Victoria was conducted. Respondents were asked about background, interest and training in implantology, and implant treatment preferences. Results were analysed according to primary practice location, decade of graduation and attendance at continuing professional development (CPD) programmes. One hundred and seventy-six questionnaires were included for analysis. In general, dentists rate their implant knowledge, interest and enjoyment in restoring implants favourably. No differences were found between city and country practitioners, and different graduation decades. The level of CPD significantly influenced treatment preferences. Practitioners were generally unwilling to treat patients taking bisphosphonates, or to perform grafting procedures. Most dentists provide common services to treat peri-implant conditions. Direct-to-fixture is the most popular fixture-abutment connection. Overall, there is a high level of implant knowledge corresponding to current evidence in the literature. Level of CPD attendance is the most important factor in dentists' willingness to provide more implant therapy options. © 2016 Australian Dental Association.

Satisfaction among early and mid-career dentists in a metropolitan dental hospital in China

PubMed Central

Cui, Xiaoxi; Dunning, David G; An, Na

2017-01-01

A growing body of research has examined career satisfaction among dentists using a standardized instrument, dentist satisfaction survey (DSS). This project examined career satisfaction of early to mid-career dentists in China, a population whose career satisfaction, heretofore, has not been studied. This is an especially critical time to examine career satisfaction because of health care reform measures being implemented in China. A culturally sensitive Chinese-language version of the DSS (CDSS) was developed and electronically administered to 367 early and mid-career dentists in a tertiary dental hospital in Beijing, China. One hundred and seventy respondents completed the survey. The average total career score was 123, with a range of 82–157. Data analysis showed some significant differences in total career score and several subscales based on gender, working hours per week, and years in practice. A stepwise regression model revealed that two variables predicted total career score: working hours per week and gender. Stepwise regression also demonstrated that four subscales significantly predicted the overall professional satisfaction subscale score: respect, delivery of care, income and patient relations. Implications of these results are discussed in light of the health care delivery system and dentist career paths in China. PMID:29355243

The information filter: how dentists use diet diary information to give patients clear and simple advice.

PubMed

Arheiam, Arheiam; Brown, Stephen L; Higham, Susan M; Albadri, Sondos; Harris, Rebecca V

2016-12-01

Diet diaries are recommended for dentists to monitor children's sugar consumption. Diaries provide multifaceted dietary information, but patients respond better to simpler advice. We explore how dentists integrate information from diet diaries to deliver useable advice to patients. As part of a questionnaire study of general dental practitioners (GDPs) in Northwest England, we asked dentists to specify the advice they would give a hypothetical patient based upon a diet diary case vignette. A sequential mixed method approach was used for data analysis: an initial inductive content analysis (ICA) to develop coding system to capture the complexity of dietary assessment and delivered advice. Using these codes, a quantitative analysis was conducted to examine correspondences between identified dietary problems and advice given. From these correspondences, we inferred how dentists reduced problems to give simple advice. A total of 229 dentists' responses were analysed. ICA on 40 questionnaires identified two distinctive approaches of developing diet advice: a summative (summary of issues into an all-encompassing message) and a selective approach (selection of a main message approach). In the quantitative analysis of all responses, raw frequencies indicated that dentists saw more problems than they advised on and provided highly specific advice on a restricted number of problems (e.g. not eating sugars before bedtime 50.7% or harmful items 42.4%, rather than simply reducing the amount of sugar 9.2%). Binary logistic regression models indicate that dentists provided specific advice that was tailored to the key problems that they identified. Dentists provided specific recommendations to address what they felt were key problems, whilst not intervening to address other problems that they may have felt less pressing. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Children's and parents' attitudes towards dentists' appearance, child dental experience and their relationship with dental anxiety.

PubMed

Tong, H J; Khong, J; Ong, C; Ng, A; Lin, Y; Ng, J J; Hong, C H L

2014-12-01

To evaluate child and parental attitudes towards dentists' appearance, subsequently related to a child's dental experience and their association with child's anxiety levels. 402 parent-child pairs were surveyed using interviewer-administered questionnaires at the School Dental Service, Health Promotion Board, Singapore. Standardised pictures of models with different attires, ages, genders and ethnicities were shown to the parent-child pairs. Information on each child's dental experience was obtained. Parental proxy was used to evaluate the children's dental fear levels based on the Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS). Personal protective equipment (PPE) was the attire of choice for both parents and children, followed by the paediatric coat. Formal and informal attire was least preferred by children and parents, respectively. Parents preferred female dentists to treat their child, whereas children preferred a dentist of the same gender (p < 0.001). Parent's and child's preferences for the child's dentist's appearance were shown to be significantly different (p < 0.001). CFSS-DS scores were also significantly associated with the number of previous dental visits (p = 0.002) as well as a history of extractions (p = 0.02), but not with child's demographics, dmft or preference for dentist's appearance (p > 0.05). Regardless of child anxiety levels, the PPE followed by paediatric coats were preferred over other choices of dentists' attire. Children tended to choose a dentist who was of a younger age, and of the same gender and ethnicity as themselves. Parents tended to choose younger, female dentists of the same ethnicity as themselves. Subjective experience of extractions, as well as multiple dental visits appeared to play a more significant role in the development of dental fear than dental caries experience per se.

Medicine shortages in Australia: causes, impact and management strategies in the community setting.

PubMed

Tan, Yee Xi; Moles, Rebekah J; Chaar, Betty B

2016-10-01

Background Medicine shortages are an ongoing global problem. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) dedicated a website for monitoring of medicine shortages in Australia in May 2014, as part of the Medicine Shortage Information Initiative. This study aimed to explore the views of pharmacists regarding medicine shortages in the community setting and the impact of the TGA website in Australia. Setting Community pharmacies in New South Wales, Australia. Method Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with community pharmacists. Data collected were analysed thematically utilising the framework analysis method. Main outcome measure Qualitative analysis conducted using the framework approach. Results Findings clearly indicated that medicine shortages were experienced on a regular basis, but most participants were unaware of the TGA website. Medicine shortages reportedly impacted both pharmacists and consumers; and various workarounds were undertaken to manage the issue. The "price disclosure policy" was found to be a prominent contributing factor in emerging shortages. Suggestions were made for ways to improve the growing occurrence of shortages. Conclusion Overall, the study found that there was a lack of familiarity with the TGA website, despite experiencing regular shortages of medicines in practice. Also highlighted, was the importance of pharmacists prioritising patient care over business decisions. To reduce prescribing of out-of-stock medicines notifying doctors about shortages was also considered important, to allow for early action to be taken at higher levels of the supply chain. Findings of this study may help direct future policy-making around the world, as medicine shortages is a problem shared by healthcare providers in most countries around the world.

Ethical framework for resource allocation during a drug supply shortage.

PubMed

Gibson, Jennifer L; Bean, Sally; Chidwick, Paula; Godkin, Dianne; Sibbald, Robert W; Wagner, Frank

2012-01-01

Drug supply shortages are common in health systems due to manufacturing and other delays. Frequently, shortages are successfully addressed through conservation and redistribution efforts, with limited impact on patient care. However, when Sandoz Canada Inc. announced in February 2012 that it was reducing production of a number of generic injectable drugs at its Quebec facility, the scope and magnitude of the drug supply shortage were unprecedented in Canada. The potential for an extreme scarcity of some drugs raised ethical concerns about patient care, including the need to limit access to some health services. In this article, the authors describe the development and implementation of an ethical framework to promote equitable access to drugs and healthcare services in the context of a drug supply shortage within and across health systems.

[Comparative study of three Western models of deontological codes for dentists].

PubMed

Macpherson Mayol, Ignacio; Roqué Sánchez, María Victoria; Gonzalvo-Cirac, Margarita; de Ribot, Eduard

2013-01-01

We performed a comparative analysis of the codes of ethics of three official organizations in Dentistry professional ethics: Code of Ethics for Dentists in the European Union, drawn up by the Council of European Dentists (CED); Código Español de Ética y Deontología Dental, published by the Consejo General de Colegios de Odontólogos y Estomatólogos de España (CGCOE); and Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct, of the American Dental Association (ADA). The analysis of the structure of the codes allows the discovery of different approaches governing professional ethics according to the ethical and legislative tradition from which they derive. While there are common elements inherent in Western culture, there are nuances in the grounds, the layout and wording of articles that allows to deduce the ethical foundations that underlie each code, and reflects the real problems encountered by dentists in the practice of their profession.

Complementary and alternative therapies in dentistry and characteristics of dentists who recommend them.

PubMed

Baatsch, Beatrice; Zimmer, Stefan; Rodrigues Recchia, Daniela; Büssing, Arndt

2017-12-01

The aims of this study were to analyse whether dentists offer or recommend complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) remedies in their clinical routine, and how effective these are rated by proponents and opponents. A second aim of this study was to give a profile of the dentists endorsing CAM. A prospective, explorative, anonymised cross-sectional survey was spread among practicing dentists in Germany via congresses, dental periodicals and online (n=250, 55% male, 45% female; mean age 49.1±11.4years). Of a set of 31 predefined CAM modalities, the dentists integrated plant extracts from Arnica montana (64%), chamomile (64%), clove (63%), Salvia officinalis (54%), but also relaxation therapies (62%), homeopathy (57%), osteopathic medicine (50%) and dietetics (50%). The effectiveness of specific treatments was rated significantly higher (p<0.0001) by CAM proponents than opponents. However also CAM opponents classified some CAM remedies as highly effective, namely ear acupuncture, osteopathic medicine and clove. For ear acupuncture these scores did not significantly differ between both groups. With respect to the characteristic of the proponents, the majority of CAM endorsing dentists were women. The mean age (50.4±0.9 vs 47.0±0.9years) and number of years of professional experience (24.2±1.0 vs 20.0±1.0years) were significantly higher for CAM proponents than the means for opponents (p<0.0001 respectively). CAM proponents worked significantly less (p<0.0001) and their perceived workload was significantly lower (p=0.008). Their self-efficacy expectation (SEE) and work engagement (Utrecht work engagement, UWE) were significantly higher (p≤0.01 and p<0.0001) compared to dentists who abandoned these treatment options. The logistic regression model showed (exploratively) an increased association from CAM proponents with the UWES subscale dedication, with years of experience, and that men are less likely to be CAM proponents than women. Various CAM treatments are

Constrained posture in dentistry - a kinematic analysis of dentists.

PubMed

Ohlendorf, Daniela; Erbe, Christina; Nowak, Jennifer; Hauck, Imke; Hermanns, Ingo; Ditchen, Dirk; Ellegast, Rolf; Groneberg, David A

2017-07-05

How a dentist works, such as the patterns of movements performed daily, is also largely affected by the workstation Dental tasks are often executed in awkward body positions, thereby causing a very high degree of strain on the corresponding muscles. The objective of this study is to detect those dental tasks, during which awkward postures occur most frequently. The isolated analysis of static postures will examine the duration for which these postures are maintained during the corresponding dental, respectively non-dental, activities. 21 (11f/10 m) dentists (age: 40.1 ± 10.4 years) participated in this study. An average dental workday was collected for every subject. To collect kinematic data of all activities, the CUELA system was used. Parallel to the kinematic examination, a detailed computer-based task analysis was conducted. Afterwards, both data sets were synchronized based on the chronological order of the postures assumed in the trunk and the head region. All tasks performed were assigned to the categories "treatment" (I), "office" (II) and "other activities" (III). The angle values of each body region (evaluation parameter) were examined and assessed corresponding to ergonomic standards. Moreover, this study placed a particular focus on static positions, which are held statically for 4 s and longer. For "treatment" (I), the entire head and trunk area is anteriorly tilted while the back is twisted to the right, in (II) and (III) the back is anteriorly tilted and twisted to the right (non-neutral position). Static positions in (I) last for 4-10s, static postures (approx. 60%) can be observed while in (II) and (III) in the back area static positions for more than 30 s are most common. Moreover, in (II) the back is twisted to the right for more than 60 s in 26.8%. Awkward positions are a major part of a dentists' work. This mainly pertains to static positions of the trunk and head in contrast to "office work." These insights facilitate the quantitative

Involving patients in treatment decisions – a delicate balancing act for Swedish dentists

PubMed Central

Röing, Marta; Holmström, Inger Knutsson

2012-01-01

Abstract Background  This study focuses on patients’ participation in treatment decisions related to the delivery of oral health care in the social welfare state of Sweden. In 1985, the National Dental Service Act gave dental patients the right to take an active role in decisions regarding their treatment and, in doing so, strengthened them as consumers. Little is known how dentists in Sweden have adapted to this change. Objective  This study explores how dentists in Sweden perceive and experience involving patients in dental treatment decisions. Design  Data were collected from open‐ended interviews with nineteen dentists, and an inductive qualitative content analysis was chosen to analyse the transcribed interviews. Findings  Involving patients in treatment decisions appeared to be delicate balancing acts between the ideals of patient involvement and the reality of how it is practised in Sweden. These balancing acts in turn revealed obstacles to patient involvement and the role that economy can play on the decisions of some patients regarding their treatment. Conclusions  This study has given insight into a relationship in which some dentists in Sweden find it hard to adapt to and change their professional role with patients who appear to act more as consumers. For these dentists, better practice of patient involvement may require adoption of a more consumerist approach. However, in situations where economy influences patients’ treatment choices, the ideals of patient involvement may remain unattainable. PMID:22512804

Safeguarding children in dentistry: 2. Do paediatric dentists neglect child dental neglect?

PubMed

Harris, J C; Elcock, C; Sidebotham, P D; Welbury, R R

2009-05-09

In this second part of a two-part report, further findings of a postal questionnaire sent in March 2005 to dentists with an interest in paediatric dentistry working in varied UK settings are presented and discussed in the context of current multi-agency good practice in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Using insights gained from a survey of self-reported management of children with neglected dentitions, this paper explores whether paediatric dentists neglect child dental neglect. The authors conclude that current practice already includes much that contributes to promoting children's oral health and wellbeing. However, in a society where children continue to suffer as a result of abuse and neglect, they warn that improvements are needed in communication between dentists and other health and social care professionals if children's welfare is to be safeguarded and promoted effectively and future tragedies avoided.

New Report Predicts Shortage of Geoscientists in the Workforce

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wendel, JoAnna

2014-06-01

By the end of the next decade, there may be a shortage of 135,000 geoscientists in the workforce, according to a report issued by the American Geosciences Institute on 29 May. This shortage is predicted despite rising enrollment in the geosciences and rising salaries for students graduating with bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees.

The World Language Teacher Shortage: Taking a New Direction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Pete; Mason, Shannon

2018-01-01

Since the end of World War II, international leaders have made calls addressing the world language teacher shortage. For almost 70 years, such rhetoric has been advanced, yet world language teacher shortages remain in many countries such as Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In this article, the…

Hospital admissions for neurological and renal diseases among dentists and dental assistants occupationally exposed to mercury.

PubMed

Thygesen, Lau Caspar; Flachs, Esben Meulengracht; Hanehøj, Kirsten; Kjuus, Helge; Juel, Knud

2011-12-01

For many years an amalgam containing metallic mercury, which has been associated with neurological and renal diseases, has been used in dentistry. In this nationwide study we compared hospital admissions due to neurological and renal diseases among dentists and dental assistants to admissions in controls. This register-based cohort study included all Danish workers employed in dental clinics, general practitioners' clinics or lawyers' offices between 1964 and 2006. We compared dentists with general practitioners and lawyers, and dental assistants with medical secretaries, nurses and legal secretaries. We also compared dentists and dental assistants employed during periods with high occupational mercury exposure with dentists and dental assistants employed during periods with less mercury exposure. We followed all subjects in a nationwide register of hospital admissions. We analysed risk of neurological diseases, Parkinson's disease and renal diseases using a Cox regression model. The cohort consisted of 122,481 workers including 5371 dentists and 33,858 dental assistants. For neurological diseases, no association was observed for dental assistants, while for dentists an increasing risk for periods with less mercury exposure was observed. Among dental assistants, a negative association between employment length and risk of neurological disease was observed. Admissions for renal disease among dental assistants were increased during periods with less mercury exposure compared with controls. For dentists a non-significant increased risk was observed between employment length and renal disease risk. Our nationwide study does not indicate that occupational exposure to mercury increases the risk of hospital admissions for neurological, Parkinson's or renal diseases.

Holding up the oral health safety net: the role of National Health Service Corps alumni dentists in North Carolina.

PubMed

Bhatavadekar, Neel B; Rozier, R Gary; Konrad, Thomas R

2011-06-01

  Access to oral health care among low income populations is a growing problem. The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) might increase the supply of dentists motivated to provide services for this population.   To determine if North Carolina dentists who began a service obligation with the NHSC in 1990-1999 continued to provide care for underserved populations and if they differ from non-NHSC alumni primary care dentists who started practice in the state during that same period.   All 19 NHSC alumni and 50 comparison dentists were surveyed by mail. NHSC alumni also responded to selected items in a telephone follow-up interview. The two groups were compared using difference of means tests and multivariate contingency tables.   National Health Service Corps alumni were more likely to be African-American (38%vs. 10%), work in safety net practices (84%vs. 23%), and see more publicly insured patients (60%vs. 19%) than comparison dentists. Yet their job satisfaction was comparable to non-NHSC alumni dentists. Analyses suggested that current practice in safety net settings is affected by dentists' race, altruistic motivations and previous NHSC participation. CONCLUSION AND POLICY IMPLICATION:  Targeted recruitment of African-American dentists and others wanting to work in underserved communities could amplify the effectiveness of the financial incentive of NHSC loan repayment and induce dentists to remain in 'safety net' settings. © 2011 FDI World Dental Federation.

An analysis of news flow on the nation's nurse shortage.

PubMed

Kalisch, B J; Kalisch, P A; Clinton, J

1981-09-01

Using data from national newspaper clipping services, this article analyzes characteristics of 1978 news coverage of the nation's nurse shortage. Based on a content analysis of nearly 3,000 newspaper articles, findings revealed that 14 per cent of the articles mentioned problems of nurse supply. Articles on nurse shortage were most frequent in the Pacific, Mid-Atlantic and South-Atlantic states and occurred least in the West-North Central and East-South Central states. Articles mentioning nurse shortage were more frequently placed on page 1, associated with clinical nursing in hospital settings and explained as the result of maldistribution of nurses, poor salaries, deficient working conditions and lack of job satisfaction. The reading public was confronted with three major consequences of current and continued shortages in nursing: 1) decline in the availability and diversity of health services; 2) erosion in the quality of care offered the public and jeopardized patient welfare; and 3) escalating health care costs. Solutions to the nurse shortage appear to be closely tied to further expansion of the issue among the public, the initiation of remedial governmental action and timely relocation of scarce resources within the health care industry.

Use of local anesthesia during dental rehabilitation with general anesthesia: a survey of dentist anesthesiologists.

PubMed

Townsend, Janice A; Hagan, Joseph L; Smiley, Megann

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to document current practices of dentist anesthesiologists who are members of the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists regarding the supplemental use of local anesthesia for children undergoing dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia. A survey was administered via e-mail to the membership of the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists to document the use of local anesthetic during dental rehabilitations under general anesthesia and the rationale for its use. Seventy-seven (42.1%) of the 183 members responded to this survey. The majority of dentist anesthesiologists prefer use of local anesthetic during general anesthesia for dental rehabilitation almost always or sometimes (90%, 63/70) and 40% (28/70) prefer its use with rare exception. For dentist anesthesiologists who prefer the administration of local anesthesia almost always, they listed the following factors as very important: "stabilization of vital signs/decreased depth of general anesthesia" (92.9%, 26/28) and "improved patient recovery" (82.1%, 23/28). There was a significant association between the type of practice and who determines whether or not local anesthesia is administered during cases. The majority of respondents favor the use of local anesthesia during dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia.

Rapid Deterioration of Basic Life Support Skills in Dentists With Basic Life Support Healthcare Provider.

PubMed

Nogami, Kentaro; Taniguchi, Shogo; Ichiyama, Tomoko

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between basic life support skills in dentists who had completed the American Heart Association's Basic Life Support (BLS) Healthcare Provider qualification and time since course completion. Thirty-six dentists who had completed the 2005 BLS Healthcare Provider course participated in the study. We asked participants to perform 2 cycles of cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a mannequin and evaluated basic life support skills. Dentists who had previously completed the BLS Healthcare Provider course displayed both prolonged reaction times, and the quality of their basic life support skills deteriorated rapidly. There were no correlations between basic life support skills and time since course completion. Our results suggest that basic life support skills deteriorate rapidly for dentists who have completed the BLS Healthcare Provider. Newer guidelines stressing chest compressions over ventilation may help improve performance over time, allowing better cardiopulmonary resuscitation in dental office emergencies. Moreover, it may be effective to provide a more specialized version of the life support course to train the dentists, stressing issues that may be more likely to occur in the dental office.

What every dentist needs to know about cannabis.

PubMed

Rechthand, Moshe M; Bashirelahi, Nasir

2016-01-01

As the prevalence of marijuana use rises along with its legalization, it has become increasingly important for dentists to understand the potential benefits and risks of marijuana use. This article reviews potential effects of cannabis on oral and systemic health.

Barriers to pediatricians' adherence to American Academy of Pediatrics oral health referral guidelines: North Carolina general dentists' opinions.

PubMed

Long, C Marshall; Quinonez, Rocio B; Rozier, R Gary; Kranz, Ashley M; Lee, Jessica Y

2014-01-01

The purposes of this study were to: (1) assess knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of North Carolina general dentists (GDs) regarding American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) dental referral guidelines; and (2) determine factors that influence pediatricians' ability to comply with AAP guidelines. One thousand GDs were surveyed to determine barriers toward acceptance of physician referrals of infants and toddlers. The primary outcome using ordered logistic regression was GDs' acceptance of children described in five case scenarios, with different levels of risk and oral health status. GDs believed pediatricians should refer patients at risk for caries to a dentist. While 61 to 75 percent of GDs were willing to accept low caries risk referrals of infants and toddlers, only 35 percent would accept referrals when caries was present. Predictors of referral acceptance were correct knowledge about AAP guidelines (OR=2.0, 95%CI=1.2-3.3), confidence in providing preventive care to infants and toddlers (OR=2.6, 95%CI=1.3-4.9), and agreement that parents see importance in dental referrals (OR=2.1, 95% CI=1.2-3.6). This study identified factors influencing acceptance of pediatrician referrals for the age one dental visit among North Carolina GDs and highlighted challenges pediatricians face in referring young children for dental care.

What dentists need to know about CADM: complementary and alternative dentistry and medicine.

PubMed

Tobey, H S

1996-01-01

This article is written for dentists and paraprofessionals working with dentists, to provide a better understanding of the current and increasing acceptable modality of Complementary and Alternative Dentistry and Medicine. What dentists need to know about hypnosis, or mind-body imagery, a method and technique used in alternative dentistry, is explained in detail. Conscious behavior, also termed rational or normal consciousness, and subconscious behavior, also referred to as the altered state of consciousness, will be detailed. Once recognizing the role of this subconscious state, the main focus of this article is to describe what this state is, the characteristics that belong to this scientific practical phenomenon, and the key to how to induce this state, simply, readily and easily in eighty percent of dental patients.

Factors influencing behavior guidance: a survey of practicing pediatric dentists.

PubMed

Juntgen, Laura M; Sanders, Brian J; Walker, Laquia A; Jones, James E; Weddell, James A; Tomlin, Angela M; Eckert, George; Maupome, Gerardo

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing behavior guidance technique utilization among practicing pediatric dentists and explore potential barriers to the incorporation of previously unused techniques. The data for this study were obtained from a web-based survey containing 15 multiple choice questions concerning the practitioners' past, current, and anticipated future behavior guidance technique utilization. Most respondents received hands-on training in 10 of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry behavior guidance techniques. The type of training was associated with the practitioners' level of comfort using a given technique upon graduation and with the current frequency of technique utilization. Residency type impacted hands-on behavior guidance training, with 39 percent of respondents reporting no intravenous sedation training. The type of practice was associated with the frequency of behavior guidance technique utilization, as was graduation decade. Currently practicing dentists cited legal concerns, parental acceptance to change, and limited resources as perceived obstacles in the incorporation of new techniques. Behavior guidance technique selection and utilization among practicing pediatric dentists was influenced by multiple factors, including advanced education training, residency type, graduation decade, and practice type. Obstacles to the incorporation of previously unused techniques appear to be multifactorial.

Social Perception of Public Water Supply Network and Groundwater Quality in an Urban Setting Facing Saltwater Intrusion and Water Shortages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alameddine, Ibrahim; Jawhari, Gheeda; El-Fadel, Mutasem

2017-04-01

Perceptions developed by consumers regarding the quality of water reaching their household can affect the ultimate use of the water. This study identified key factors influencing consumers' perception of water quality in a highly urbanized coastal city, experiencing chronic water shortages, overexploitation of groundwater, and accelerated saltwater intrusion. Household surveys were administered to residents to capture views and perceptions of consumed water. Concomitantly, groundwater and tap water samples were collected and analyzed at each residence for comparison with perceptions. People's rating of groundwater quality was found to correlate to the measured water quality both in the dry and wet seasons. In contrast, perceptions regarding the water quality of the public water supply network did not show any correlation with the measured tap water quality indicators. Logistic regression models developed to predict perception based on salient variables indicated that age, apartment ownership, and levels of total dissolved solids play a significant role in shaping perceptions regarding groundwater quality. Perceptions concerning the water quality of the public water supply network appeared to be independent of the measured total dissolved solids levels at the tap but correlated to those measured in the wells. The study highlights misconceptions that can arise as a result of uncontrolled cross-connections of groundwater to the public supply network water and the development of misaligned perceptions based on prior consumption patterns, water shortages, and a rapidly salinizing groundwater aquifer.

Social Perception of Public Water Supply Network and Groundwater Quality in an Urban Setting Facing Saltwater Intrusion and Water Shortages.

PubMed

Alameddine, Ibrahim; Jawhari, Gheeda; El-Fadel, Mutasem

2017-04-01

Perceptions developed by consumers regarding the quality of water reaching their household can affect the ultimate use of the water. This study identified key factors influencing consumers' perception of water quality in a highly urbanized coastal city, experiencing chronic water shortages, overexploitation of groundwater, and accelerated saltwater intrusion. Household surveys were administered to residents to capture views and perceptions of consumed water. Concomitantly, groundwater and tap water samples were collected and analyzed at each residence for comparison with perceptions. People's rating of groundwater quality was found to correlate to the measured water quality both in the dry and wet seasons. In contrast, perceptions regarding the water quality of the public water supply network did not show any correlation with the measured tap water quality indicators. Logistic regression models developed to predict perception based on salient variables indicated that age, apartment ownership, and levels of total dissolved solids play a significant role in shaping perceptions regarding groundwater quality. Perceptions concerning the water quality of the public water supply network appeared to be independent of the measured total dissolved solids levels at the tap but correlated to those measured in the wells. The study highlights misconceptions that can arise as a result of uncontrolled cross-connections of groundwater to the public supply network water and the development of misaligned perceptions based on prior consumption patterns, water shortages, and a rapidly salinizing groundwater aquifer.

42 CFR 440.50 - Physicians' services and medical and surgical services of a dentist.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... services of a dentist. 440.50 Section 440.50 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES... Definitions § 440.50 Physicians' services and medical and surgical services of a dentist. (a) “Physicians... dentist” means medical and surgical services furnished, on or after January 1, 1988, by a doctor of dental...

42 CFR 440.50 - Physicians' services and medical and surgical services of a dentist.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... services of a dentist. 440.50 Section 440.50 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES... Definitions § 440.50 Physicians' services and medical and surgical services of a dentist. (a) “Physicians... dentist” means medical and surgical services furnished, on or after January 1, 1988, by a doctor of dental...

42 CFR 440.50 - Physicians' services and medical and surgical services of a dentist.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... services of a dentist. 440.50 Section 440.50 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES... Definitions § 440.50 Physicians' services and medical and surgical services of a dentist. (a) “Physicians... dentist” means medical and surgical services furnished, on or after January 1, 1988, by a doctor of dental...

42 CFR 440.50 - Physicians' services and medical and surgical services of a dentist.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... services of a dentist. 440.50 Section 440.50 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES... Definitions § 440.50 Physicians' services and medical and surgical services of a dentist. (a) “Physicians... dentist” means medical and surgical services furnished, on or after January 1, 1988, by a doctor of dental...

42 CFR 440.50 - Physicians' services and medical and surgical services of a dentist.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... services of a dentist. 440.50 Section 440.50 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES... Definitions § 440.50 Physicians' services and medical and surgical services of a dentist. (a) “Physicians... dentist” means medical and surgical services furnished, on or after January 1, 1988, by a doctor of dental...

'You have to treat the person, not the mouth only': UK dentists' perceptions of communication in patient consultations.

PubMed

Nowak, Marta Justyna; Buchanan, Heather; Asimakopoulou, Koula

2018-07-01

Effective communication between patients and health professionals is a key component of patient-centred care. Although there is a large body of literature focusing on doctor-patient communication, there has been limited research related to dentist-patient communication, especially presented from the dentists' perspective. The aim of our study was to explore UK dentists' perceptions of communication in their consultations, and the factors they perceive may influence this. We conducted semi-structured interviews with eight dentists in UK dental NHS practices. Thematic analysis revealed three themes ('Treating the whole person', 'Barriers to patient-centred communication' and 'Mutuality of communication'), which reflected the dentists' perceptions of their own communication during consultations, the patients' interaction skills, attitudes (and characteristics that may affect them), and external factors, such as time constraints, that can influence dentist-patients' encounters. These in-depth accounts are valuable, in that we see what dentists perceive is important, obstructive and facilitative. They report using a patient-centred approach in their everyday dental practice; however this is often difficult due to factors such as time constraints. Although they emphasized that the patient has an active role to play in the communication process, it may be the case that they also need to play their part in facilitating this.

Drug shortages in Israel: regulatory perspectives, challenges and solutions.

PubMed

Schwartzberg, Eyal; Ainbinder, Denize; Vishkauzan, Alla; Gamzu, Ronni

2017-01-01

Pharmaceutical drug shortages (DSs) are a global problem which presents challenges to countries around the world. Shortages of pharmaceutical products may have a direct detrimental impact on public health and patients' wellbeing by causing delayed, or even lack of, treatment. Moreover, DSs may force both patients and caregivers to use unfamiliar drugs, which could lead to medication errors. The objective of our study was to analyze DSs in Israel during the years 2013-2015, assessing their etiology and exploring the steps taken for their mitigation and prevention. The database of the Israeli Ministry of Health (MoH) on drug shortages contains all the DSs recorded in Israel since 2013, detailing the cause of the DS, its duration, steps taken in its' management and the availability of generic or therapeutic alternatives. Selected examples of DSs from the database are described in this paper in order to identify the causes of DSs, the scope of the problem and possible solutions. Additionally, we have reviewed the recent activities performed by European Medicine Agency (EMA) and the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in their efforts to minimize this problem. Several factors contributing towards DSs in Israel were identified, including quality problems in both the final drug product and in the raw materials, upgrades and improvements of the manufacturing process required by the MoH, manufacturing by a sole supplier, dramatic price decrease in off-patent medications causing the manufacturer to discontinue the distribution of the product in Israel, just-in-time inventory control, and others. One of the most important steps in managing drug shortages was identified to be early notification of the shortage by the Marketing Authorization Holder (MAH) to the MoH. In 2013, the Israeli MoH updated the regulation on drug shortages instructing MAHs on their obligation of early notification to the MoH. Furthermore, various steps dealing with marketing withdrawal of drugs

Retention and recruitment of general dentists in an adjunct teaching model-A pilot study.

PubMed

Howe, Brian J; Allareddy, Verasathpurush; Barwacz, Christopher A; Parker, I Reed; Straub-Morarend, Cheryl L; Holmes, David C

2017-01-01

Retention and recruitment of part time clinical adjunct faculty members in dental education is becoming increasingly difficult as dental schools come to rely on this workforce for their increased involvement in clinical education. Contributing factors include full time faculty shortage, aging workforce, practice and student debt, practice and family commitments, and financial compensation. This study attempts to ascertain barriers to teaching so appropriate strategies can be formulated to address this issue. In the spring of 2016 an email survey was sent to current and former adjunct faculty members to ascertain demographics and retention and recruitment strategies. Descriptive analyses were completed for all variables in the sample. Twenty nine of forty six subjects responded to the survey with a response rate of 63%. Subjects over the age of sixty comprised 55% with only 17% being under the age of forty five. Overall family and practice commitments along with compensation were the primary barriers to teaching part time. For new dentists, student loan debt was the primary barrier to teaching. Travel to teach was also a barrier as 70% of respondents drove 200 miles or less to the dental school. The study demonstrated that the aging part time work force is a great concern and new part time clinical adjunct faculty members must be recruited. Barriers to recruitment and retention of faculty must be considered and addressed to sustain this teaching model.

Beneficial Communications from Dentists to Patients

DTIC Science & Technology

definite relationship between actual frequency of communications and the recruit patient perceptions related to dental health . Patient perceptions about...pointing-up the need for frequent and beneficial communication between dental personnel and patients can be useful in improving the attitudes toward maintenance of personal dental health ....Dentist to patient communications are important, since it is this communication which can induce the patient to establish an interest in his dental

Management of temporomandibular disorders by Ministry of Public Health dentists in Central Thailand.

PubMed

Chanton, Supang; Vicheinnet, Supranee; Hosanguan, Chanchai; Mutirangura, Wantanee

2017-10-01

Very little is known about the ability of dentists to diagnose and treat temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). The aims of this study were to investigate whether dentists in Central Thailand diagnosed TMD subcategories before initiating treatment for TMDs and to explore the frequency of corresponding treatments. A questionnaire covering TMD management was developed and posted to all Ministry of Public Health dentists (n = 969) in Central Thailand. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The respondents (n = 502) comprised 109 (21.7%) male and 393 (78.3%) female dentists between 23 and 59 years of age (mean age = 34.7 years). In the preceding year, 427 (85.1%) reported encountering patients with TMDs, 356 (70.9%) had treated patients who had TMDs and 176 (49.4%) had diagnosed TMD subcategories. Most respondents regularly treated patients by providing patient education and encouraging self-care. The respondents who did not diagnose subcategories primarily treated TMDs with pharmacotherapy and physical therapy; orthopaedic appliances and occlusal therapy were used less often. Respondents who diagnosed TMD subcategories did not often use orthopaedic appliances or occlusal therapy to treat muscle disorders. For the treatment of derangement disorders, respondents used fewer pharmacotherapy, physical therapy and occlusal therapy techniques. For the treatment of osteoarthritis, respondents used less physical therapy and fewer orthopaedic appliances. Most Ministry of Public Health dentists in the Central Thailand region encounter and treat patients with TMDs. Approximately 50% of the respondents diagnosed TMD subcategories before providing treatment for TMDs. © 2017 FDI World Dental Federation.

The Shortage of Dentists: A Risk to National Security?

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-19

care crisis and its effect on the dental readiness of the United States military are outlined in this paper. Specific areas considered are oral...potential national dental care crisis and its effect on the dental readiness of the United States military. Consideration will be given to oral...practice in the community of their choosing while earning a respectable salary is attractive. When combined with the opportunity to learn the

Evaluation of General Dentists' and Dental Specialists' Knowledge about Oral Cancer in South Khorasan-Iran 2014.

PubMed

Akbari, Narjes; Raeesi, Vajehallah; Khazaei, Tahereh; Ramezanzadeh, Khaironnesa; Ebrahimipour, Sediqe

2015-01-01

Oral cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers and one of the top ten causes of death in the whole world. Most oral cancers are diagnosed at late stages. Since dentists play a critical role in early detection of oral cancer, they should be knowledgeable and skillful in oral cancer diagnosis. The aim of this study was to survey dentist knowledge about oral cancer in Southern Khorasan Province. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with dentists who participated in an in-service educational program at the Faculty of Dentistry of Birjand University of Medical Sciences in spring 2014. A questionnaire including demographic information with 11 questions regarding oral cancer was prepared. The participants were required to be complete the questionnaires within a specific time span. The data were analyzed using SPSS 15 software by t-test and one-way ANOVA at 0.05 confidence level. A total of 73 dentists out of 80 answered the questionnaires - 36 (49.3%) were females and 37 (50.7%) were males. Total mean score of knowledge was 7.91 ± 1 of 11. Mean scores of knowledge of male and female participants were 7.70 ± 1.83 and 8.13 ± 1.94 respectively. Mean knowledge score of general dentists was 7.41 ± 1.79 and of dental specialists was 9.44 ± 1.0 In spite of higher knowledge score of women compared to men and general dentists compared to dental specialists, these differences were not statistically significant (p=0.09). Tukey testing showed a significant difference between groups with 1-4 years of experience (8.74) and over twenty years of experience (6.50) ( p=0.001). Considering the good knowledge level of young dentists and the specialists and the importance of early diagnosis of oral cancer, it seems necessary to pay more attention to academic education for dentistry students, as well as holding retraining courses for experienced dentists, so that their knowledge not be reduced over time.

Variation in work tasks in relation to pinch grip strength among middle-aged female dentists.

PubMed

Ding, Hebo; Leino-Arjas, Päivi; Murtomaa, Heikki; Takala, Esa-Pekka; Solovieva, Svetlana

2013-11-01

We aimed to investigate the relationship of task variation during dental work history with pinch grip strength among dentists. We measured pinch grip strength among 295 female Finnish dentists aged 45-63 years. Variation in dental work tasks during work history was empirically defined by cluster analysis. Three clusters of task variation emerged: low (most work time in restoration treatment/endodontics), moderate (about 50% in the former and 50% in prosthodontics/periodontics/surgery), and high (variable tasks including administrative duties). Hand radiographs were examined for the presence of OA in the wrist and each joint of the 1-3rd fingers. Information on hand-loading leisure-time activities, and joint pain was obtained by questionnaire. Glove size was used as a proxy for hand size. BMI (kg/m2) was based on measured weight and self-reported height. Dentists with low variation of work task history had an increased risk of low pinch grip strength in the right hand (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.2-4.3), but not in the left (1.13, 0.62-2.08), compared to dentists with high task variation, independent of age, hand size, hand-loading leisure-time activities, BMI and symptomatic hand OA. The dentists with the most hand-loading tasks were at an increased risk of low pinch grip strength, independent of e.g. symptomatic hand OA. It is advisable among dentists to perform as diverse work tasks as possible to reduce the risk of decreased pinch grip strength. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Can state-supported interprofessional coalitions cure preceptor shortages?

PubMed

Woodall, Lesli; Smith, Gigi; Garr, David; Hopla, Deborah; Kern, Donna

2018-06-01

The shortage of clinical preceptors compromises the current and future supply of healthcare providers and patient access to primary care. This article describes how an interprofessional coalition in South Carolina formed and sought government support to address the preceptor shortage. Some states have legislated preceptor tax credits and/or deductions to support the clinical education of future primary care healthcare providers. As a result of the coalition's work, a bill to establish similar incentives is pending in the South Carolina legislature.

Animal bite injuries to the face : A Case Report.

PubMed

Simao, Niverso Rodrigues; Borba, Alexandre Meireles; da Silva, Andre Luis Fernandes; Vieira, Evanice Menezes Marcal; Carvalhosa, Artur Aburad; Bandeca, Matheus Coelho; Borges, Alvaro Henrique

2013-08-01

Traumatic lacerations to the skin are problems frequently seen and treated by emergency centers around the world. Among all wounds, dog and cat bites are commonly seen. As in many mammals, different species of microorganisms are found in dog and cat mouths with a potential pathological effect to humans, as represented by rabies. The injuries have disfiguration effect with possible psychological repercussion to the patient. This article aimed presenting up to date considerations regarding the management of animal bite injuries to the face, exemplified by a case report that should be the interest of all professions that deal with facial tissues, as dentists do. How to cite this article: Simao NR, Borba AM, da Silva ALF, Vieira EMM, Carvalhosa AA, Bandeca MC, Borges AH. Animal bite injuries to the face: A Case Report. J Int Oral Health 2013; 5(4):68-72.

What to wear? The influence of attire on the perceived professionalism of dentists and lawyers

PubMed Central

Furnham, Adrian; Chan, Pui Shuen; Wilson, Emma

2013-01-01

Using a sample of 201 participants and a between-subjects design, the perceived professionalism—suitability, capability, ease to talk to and friendliness—of male and female dentists and lawyers in various attires was examined. Results showed an absolute preference for male dentists and lawyers in professional and formal attire, respectively. Male dentists and lawyers in professional and formal attire were further rated as more suitable, capable, easier to talk to, and friendlier than female professionals, and than those dressed in smart or casual attire. Results are discussed in terms of positive dental outcomes and legal representation. Limitations are considered. PMID:25308993

Use of Local Anesthesia During Dental Rehabilitation With General Anesthesia: A Survey of Dentist Anesthesiologists

PubMed Central

Townsend, Janice A.; Hagan, Joseph L.; Smiley, Megann

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to document current practices of dentist anesthesiologists who are members of the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists regarding the supplemental use of local anesthesia for children undergoing dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia. A survey was administered via e-mail to the membership of the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists to document the use of local anesthetic during dental rehabilitations under general anesthesia and the rationale for its use. Seventy-seven (42.1%) of the 183 members responded to this survey. The majority of dentist anesthesiologists prefer use of local anesthetic during general anesthesia for dental rehabilitation almost always or sometimes (90%, 63/70) and 40% (28/70) prefer its use with rare exception. For dentist anesthesiologists who prefer the administration of local anesthesia almost always, they listed the following factors as very important: “stabilization of vital signs/decreased depth of general anesthesia” (92.9%, 26/28) and “improved patient recovery” (82.1%, 23/28). There was a significant association between the type of practice and who determines whether or not local anesthesia is administered during cases. The majority of respondents favor the use of local anesthesia during dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia. PMID:24697820

AACJC/Metropolitan Life Foundation Registered Nurse Shortage Project: Status Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKenney, James F.

The American Association of Community and Junior Colleges's Nurse Shortage Project was designed to alleviate the nurse shortage by helping community colleges improve recruitment, retention, and graduation in nursing programs through direct mini-grants, with a special emphasis on Tech Prep/Associate Degree initiatives between secondary schools and…

Development of life story experience (LSE) scales for migrant dentists in Australia: a sequential qualitative-quantitative study.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, M; Spencer, A J; Short, S D; Watkins, K; Chrisopoulos, S; Brennan, D S

2016-09-01

The integration of qualitative and quantitative approaches introduces new avenues to bridge strengths, and address weaknesses of both methods. To develop measure(s) for migrant dentist experiences in Australia through a mixed methods approach. The sequential qualitative-quantitative design involved first the harvesting of data items from qualitative study, followed by a national survey of migrant dentists in Australia. Statements representing unique experiences in migrant dentists' life stories were deployed the survey questionnaire, using a five-point Likert scale. Factor analysis was used to examine component factors. Eighty-two statements from 51 participants were harvested from the qualitative analysis. A total of 1,022 of 1,977 migrant dentists (response rate 54.5%) returned completed questionnaires. Factor analysis supported an initial eight-factor solution; further scale development and reliability analysis led to five scales with a final list of 38 life story experience (LSE) items. Three scales were based on home country events: health system and general lifestyle concerns (LSE1; 10 items), society and culture (LSE4; 4 items) and career development (LSE5; 4 items). Two scales included migrant experiences in Australia: appreciation towards Australian way of life (LSE2; 13 items) and settlement concerns (LSE3; 7 items). The five life story experience scales provided necessary conceptual clarity and empirical grounding to explore migrant dentist experiences in Australia. Being based on original migrant dentist narrations, these scales have the potential to offer in-depth insights for policy makers and support future research on dentist migration. Copyright© 2016 Dennis Barber Ltd

How much dentists are ethically concerned about overtreatment; a vignette-based survey in Switzerland.

PubMed

Kazemian, Ali; Berg, Isabelle; Finkel, Christina; Yazdani, Shahram; Zeilhofer, Hans-Florian; Juergens, Philipp; Reiter-Theil, Stella

2015-06-19

Overtreatment (or unnecessary treatment) is when medical or dental services are provided with a higher volume or cost than is appropriate. This study aimed to investigate how a group of dentists in Switzerland, a wealthy country known to have high standards of healthcare including dentistry, evaluated the meaning of unnecessary treatments from an ethical perspective and, assessed the expected frequency of different possible behaviors among their peers. A vignette describing a situation that is susceptible for overtreatment of a patient was presented to a group of dentists. The vignette was followed by five options. A questionnaire including the vignette was posted to 2482 dentists in the German-speaking areas of Switzerland. The respondents were asked to rate each option according to their estimation about its prevalence and their judgment about the degree to which the behavior is ethically sound. 732 completed questionnaires were returned. According to the responses, the most ethical and the most unethical options are considered to be the most and the least prevalent behaviors among dentists practicing in Switzerland, respectively. Suggesting unnecessary treatments to patients seems to be an ethically unacceptable conduct in the eyes of a sample of dentists in Switzerland. Although the respondents believed their colleagues were very likely to behave in an ethical way in response to a situation that is susceptible to overtreatment, they still seemed to be concerned about the prevalence of unethical behaviors in this regard.

Predictors of dentists' behaviours in delivering prevention in primary dental care in England: using the theory of planned behaviour.

PubMed

Yusuf, Huda; Kolliakou, Anna; Ntouva, Antiopi; Murphy, Marie; Newton, Tim; Tsakos, Georgios; Watt, Richard G

2016-02-08

To explore the factors predicting preventive behaviours among NHS dentists in Camden, Islington and Haringey in London, using constructs from the Theory of Planned Behaviour. A cross-sectional survey of NHS dentists working in North Central London was conducted. A self-completed questionnaire based on the theoretical framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour was developed. It assessed dentists' attitudes, current preventive activities, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control in delivering preventive care. In model 1, logistic regression was conducted to assess the relationship between a range of preventive behaviours (diet, smoking and alcohol) and the three TPB constructs attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. Model 2 was adjusted for intention. Overall, 164 questionnaires were returned (response rate: 55.0%). Dentists' attitudes were important predictors of preventive behaviours among a sample of dentists in relation to asking and providing diet, alcohol and tobacco advice. A dentist was 3.73 times (95 % CI: 1.70, 8.18) more likely ask about a patient's diet, if they had a positive attitude towards prevention, when adjusted for age, sex and intention. A similar pattern emerged for alcohol advice (OR 2.35, 95 % CI 1.12, 4.96). Dentists who had a positive attitude were also 2.59 times more likely to provide smoking cessation advice. The findings of this study have demonstrated that dentists' attitudes are important predictors of preventive behaviours in relation to delivery of diet, smoking and alcohol advice.

A study on job postures and musculoskeletal illnesses in dentists.

PubMed

Rafeemanesh, Ehsan; Jafari, Zahra; Kashani, Farzad Omidi; Rahimpour, Farzaneh

2013-08-01

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) compose a large part of occupational diseases in dental professionals, prevention of which is dependent on assessment and improvement of job postures by means of ergonomic interventions. This study was aimed at evaluation of ergonomic conditions of the profession of dentists and also at assessing the relationship between MSDs and conditions of work. This cross-sectional study was performed among 65 dentists using the method of Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA). The prevalence of MSDs was obtained by the use of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). In this investigation, the prevalence of MSDs for different body parts was: 75.9% for the neck, 58.6% for the shoulders, 56.9% for the upper back, 48.3% for the lower back and 44.8% for the wrist. Job analysis by the use of REBA showed that 89.6% of limbs in group A and 79.3% of limbs in group B had a score > 4. Only neck and lower back pain have significant relationship with the risk levels obtained using the REBA method. It can be concluded that work postures of dentists need to be improved. In addition to education, work station design, rest period during work and regular physical activities should be taken into account.

The effect of education debt on dentists' career decisions.

PubMed

Nicholson, Sean; Vujicic, Marko; Wanchek, Tanya; Ziebert, Anthony; Menezes, Adriana

2015-11-01

The purpose of the study was to determine whether there is an association between the amount of education debt on completing dental school (initial debt) and certain career decisions. The authors surveyed 1,842 practicing dentists who completed dental school between 1996 and 2011 to ascertain their initial education debt, the balance on their debt in 2013, and a variety of specialization and practice decisions made during their careers. Data also included demographic characteristics and parental income and education levels. Dentists with higher initial debt were less likely to specialize and more likely to enter private practice, accept high-paying jobs on graduation, and work longer hours. Choice of employment setting, practice ownership, and whether to provide Medicaid and charity care were associated with dentists' sexes and races but not debt. High debt levels influenced some career decisions, but the magnitude of these effects was small compared with the effects of demographic characteristics, including race and sex, on career choices. Policy makers concerned about the influence of student debt on the professional decisions of dental school graduates should recognize that students' demographic characteristics may be more powerful in driving career choices. Copyright © 2015 American Dental Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Why the general dentist needs to know how to manage oral lichen planus.

PubMed

Price, Stephanie M; Murrah, Valerie A

2015-01-01

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a frequently mismanaged chronic disease that requires care throughout a patient's life, and therefore a condition the general dentist must know how to manage. Patients with OLP often suffer considerable physical discomfort and an inability to perform proper oral hygiene, eventually resulting in poor periodontal health. In addition, these patients are confronted with the psychological stress of knowing that OLP is not curable. This is accompanied by a fear of other negative health developments, particularly oral cancer. The objective of this study was to identify major issues surrounding the management of OLP by the general dentist. A literature review of over 1100 articles was performed. An eclectic compilation of the issues revealed 12 major areas of concern. This article reviews those concerns and presents strategies for coping with the myriad signs, symptoms, and complications associated with this disease, as well as educational approaches and legal considerations. A rationale is provided to place the responsibility for the management of these patients under the person best positioned to coordinate care for this condition--the general dentist. A general dentist can contribute to the overall oral health of an OLP patient with timely diagnosis, effective treatment, thorough patient education, and the orchestration of efforts by a team of health care providers.

The Search for Specialists and Managers. Staff Shortage in Germany.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stahl, Klaus, Ed.

1999-01-01

Despite its high unemployment level, Germany is experiencing a shortage of specialists and managers. Germany's need for highly qualified information technology (IT) workers and engineers is particularly great. Approximately 10,000 posts for computer scientists and IT specialists remained vacant in 1998. Because of the shortage of such specialists,…

78 FR 44459 - Designation of Health Professional(s) Shortage Areas

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-24

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Public Health Service 42 CFR Part 5 Designation of Health Professional(s) Shortage Areas CFR Correction 0 In Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 1 to 399... the phrase ``as having a mental health professional(s)'', insert the word ``shortage'' before the...

The future of the nurse shortage: will wage increases close the gap?

PubMed