Dentist Population Research Articles

Tracking workforce diversity in dentistry: importance, methods, and challenges.

The objectives of this paper are to describe sources of data on underrepresented minority (URM) dental providers and to perform a structured critique of primary survey research on African American (AA), Hispanic/Latino (HL), and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) dentists. A national sample survey was conducted between October 2012 and March 2013, and secondary datasets were assessed for comparability. The survey used 21 sampling frames, with censuses of AI/AN and nonurban dentists, and assessed demographics, education, practice history, patient population, volunteerism, experiences with discrimination, and opinions on issues in dentistry. The survey was developed with constituent input, pilot-tested, and distributed online and through US mail with three reminder postcards, phone, and email follow-up. Continuing education credit and entry to a prize drawing were provided for participation. Existing data sources cannot answer critical research questions about URM dentists. Using best practices, the survey received a 34 percent adjusted response rate. Selection likelihood and measurable response bias were adjusted for using base and poststratification weights. The survey design was consistent with best practices, and our response analytics provide high confidence that the survey produced data representative of the URM dentist population. Enhanced study design, content, and response rates of existing survey efforts would be needed to provide a more robust body of knowledge on URM providers, perspectives, and practices.

Diagnosis and treatment of patients with halitosis by dental hygienists and dentists in the Netherlands

The aims of this study were to ascertain the knowledge level of halitosis in dental hygienists and dentists in the Netherlands and to examine how they deal with patients with halitosis. A written survey (comprising 29 questions on personal and professional characteristics, clinical observation and treatment of halitosis, the referral of patients with halitosis and expert knowledge of halitosis) was randomly distributed to a sample of 327 Dutch dentist members of the Royal Dutch Dental Association (Koninklijke Nederlandse Maatschappij tot bevordering der Tandheelkunde; KNMT) and to a sample of 205 members of the Dutch Dental Hygienists' Association (members of the Nederlandse Vereniging van Mondhygiënisten; NVM). A total sample of 168 oral health professionals (92 NVM-dental hygienists and 76 dentists) was included. This sample can be considered as representative of the population of dental hygienists and dentists working in the Netherlands. Knowledge of halitosis in NVM-dental hygienists and dentists was generally the same. In both professions, attention to, and treatment of, halitosis did not take place at every patient contact, even among those who were able to treat patients with halitosis. This study supports the importance of training programmes aimed at increasing assertiveness, as well as the social and communication skills of dentists and dental hygienists to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with halitosis. A guideline on screening, diagnosis and treatment of halitosis may be useful to improve the attitude and behaviour of oral health-care professionals, ultimately aimed at stimulating optimal oral health care.

The healthcare system and the provision of oral healthcare in European Union member states. Part 1: Germany.

Germany is the largest member state of the EU, both in terms of population and number of dentists and dental team members, with 80.5 million inhabitants and 69,236 active dentists, 182,000 dental nurses and 54,000 dental technicians in 2012. General dental practitioners in private practice provide almost all oral healthcare under a health insurance scheme. The tradition of compulsory health insurance goes back to the nineteenth century when it was introduced by Bismarck. Today, the majority of the German population (86%) are members of a statutory sick fund which reimburses a legally prescribed standard oral healthcare package provided by dentists in contract with the health insurance system. A smaller number are privately insured. Access to oral healthcare is excellent and 80% of adults visited a dentist in 2013. Healthcare expenditure in Germany has long been considered high. This has led to several reforms in recent years. This paper outlines the system for the provision of oral healthcare in Germany and explains and discusses the latest changes.

Growing quackery in dentistry: An indian perspective.

Dental disease restricts activities in school, work, and home and often significantly diminishes the quality of life for many children and adults, especially those who have low income or are uninsured. Though the overall dentist population ratio in India is 1:10,000, at present in rural India, one dentist is serving 2.5 lakhs of people. Only 15-20% of people in India are able to get dental services through national schemes, and 80-85% are spending money from their pockets, providing an ideal breeding ground for quackery into dental practice in India. Dental quacks cater to the lower-middle and lower socioeconomic classes that cannot afford qualified dental practitioners. A large number of people visiting these quacks seek care only when in pain, have a restricted budget, and are not very quality conscious. Dentistry has come a long way in the last one and a half century; today it is ranked as one of the most respected professions. It is incumbent upon dentists everywhere to protect this hard-earned reputation by weeding out quacks from among them. The government should urge fresh graduates to practice in rural areas and provide more incentives to them. Public health dentists should take the initiative of adopting more community-oriented oral health programs to increase the awareness among rural populations.

Current Scenario of Dentistry and Role of Dental Institutions in Providing Education and Care in India

ABSTRACT Introduction India is the largest democracy and the second most populated country in the world. Because of this, Indian healthcare industry is experiencing quick transformation owing to the increasing demand for quality healthcare. This huge market of dental industry in India has also made a remarkable impact on the dental education. Search strategy PubMed (using medical subject headings) database was searched in the English language by using the following combinations of keywords: dental education, dental colleges, dentist: population ratio, dental council of India. Other articles were identified from the reference lists of the articles. The data from the identified studies were collected and reviewed. Discussion Through this article admission procedure, fees structure, dental curriculum, work culture and pay scale of dental institutes has been discussed. Existing dental taskforce and dentist population ratio of India has been discussed. Measures to be taken to improve the scenario of oral healthcare for the Indian population have been enlightened. How to cite this article Gupta V, Prithviraj DR, Muley N. Current Scenario of Dentistry and Role of Dental Institutions in Providing Education and Care in India. J Postgrad Med Edu Res 2015;49(3):111-114.

Retaining New Dentists in Iowa: A Role for Dental Schools in Facilitating Graduates’ Connections to Practice Opportunities in Underserved Areas

Like many other states, Iowa has an aging dental workforce. As this aging population of dentists retires and communities are unable to find new dentists to take over their practices, more small and rural communities lack easy access to oral health care. The University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics established the Office of Iowa Practice Opportunities in 2006 to promote dental practice opportunities in Iowa for its graduates. With this office, an infrastructure connecting the college with practices and communities across the state has been developed. The Office of Iowa Practice Opportunities is the first place many students go to decide what they will do after graduation and to identify practice opportunities in Iowa. The office has exceeded the college's initial expectations and has provided significant assistance in retaining recently graduated dentists in the state of Iowa and ensuring access to oral health care in the state. This article will show that facilitating connections to practice opportunities has a place in a college of dentistry.

A knowledge, attitude, and practices study regarding dental floss among dentists in India.

Objectives:To assess the knowledge, attitude, self-reported practices, and prescription patterns regarding dental floss amongst a select population of dentists in India.Materials and Methods:A pretested 30-item questionnaire was self-administered by authors to the dental faculty and postgraduate students in dental schools in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR). Nine dental institutes were selected by simple random sampling procedure among 15 institutions and a total of 255 dentists were included in the study.Statistical Analysis:The data obtained were analyzed by SPSS version 18. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies were calculated and Pearson's Chi-square test was used with P value fixed at 0.05.Results:There was lack of adequate knowledge regarding dental floss, among dentists in India. 78% of the dentists responded that the routine use of dental floss was necessary for good periodontal health. Majority of the dentists cited lack of awareness, availability, and cost as the major factors affecting floss usage. Lack of training in the dental education programs may have an impact on the prescription patterns as well. 15.3% of those surveyed do not use floss at all. 63.9% of the dentists prescribed floss routinely to their patients and considered factors like education, occupation, and socioeconomic status of the patient before prescribing dental floss.Conclusion:Health education programs regarding dental floss are necessary to create awareness among the general population and adequate training at undergraduate level is also essential to increase the prescription practices. Dentists should practice recommended oral self-care and act as role models.

Ergonomic risk factors and their association with musculoskeletal disorders among Indian dentist: a preliminary study using Rapid Upper Limb Assessment.

Ergonomics is the scientific study of people and their work. The manufacturers typically do not design to accommodate the dimensions of the individual user. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have emerged as major health problem among workers in both industrialized and industrially developing countries. Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) was developed to investigate the exposure of the individual workers to risk factors associated with work-related upper limb disorders. The assessment of the posture using RULA, which is quick reliable tool to determine the posture, has not been done in the Indian dentist population, indicating the need for the same. A total of 104 subjects were included from New Delhi/NCR. The procedure was explained, and the questionnaire was distributed and assessment was done using RULA. The MSDs can be recorded using the standard Nordic questionnaire. The data were collected from 104 subjects out of the 192 evaluated and was statistically analyzed using SPSS software. The study sample included 70 male and 34 female dentists. The posture of the subjects and the MSDs are not associated with a significant difference as according to Pearson's Chi-square test (0.231). RULA can be used as a screening tool for postural risks following a short training session regardless of the assessor's experience in postural risk assessments.

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

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.

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Pain Among Dentists in Madhya Pradesh, India

Dentists are at risk for developing musculoskeletal problems. This provided the impetus for a study of prevalence, distribution, and the associated risk factors of these problems in the dentist population of Madhya Pradesh, India. The data were analyzed from 213 dentists of Madhya Pradesh, India, who fulfilled the inclusion criteria and gave their consent for this cross-sectional study. Subjects were assessed by a special questionnaire using demographic details with working conditions. Chi-square test was used for the statistical analysis of the data. Of total 213 participants, 83.10% had at least one musculoskeletal pain in the past 12 months. Low back pain was most frequent (57.75%) followed by neck pain (31.17%) and wrist pain (17.84%). The pain was significantly prevalent among the group who worked in direct vision, without assistant, in standing position or following none of the fitness regimen.

Ambulatory care visits by Taiwanese dentists

Background/purposeIt is well recognized that various occupational hazards, including chemical, physical, and biological agents, can have adverse effects on dentists, whose heath is critical to the quality of dental care. However, little is known about the incidence of morbidity in Taiwan's dentist population. We carried out this study to investigate the overall and cause-specific incidence rates of ambulatory care visits by Taiwan's dentists. Materials and methodsData analyzed in this study were retrieved from Taiwan's National Health Insurance claims. We followed 7760 dentists who had a contract with the National Health Insurance program from 2003 to 2007. The incidence density of ambulatory care was calculated under a Poisson assumption. Using Poisson regression models, we investigated the effects of various sociodemographic and geographic variables on the all-cause and cause-specific incidence rates of ambulatory care. ResultsOver a 5-year period, the overall incidence rate of all-cause ambulatory care was estimated to be 7038/103 person-years. Dentists who were older, were female, and had lower insurance premiums had significantly increased rates. Additionally, those who practiced in central and southern regions and were affiliated with nonmedical centers were also associated with a significantly higher rate. ConclusionThere were inequalities in risks of ambulatory care use among Taiwan's dentists. Further studies should be conducted to investigate the causes responsible for the observed geographic and institutional variations in the risk of morbidity among dentists in Taiwan.

Upaya pencegahan yang dilakukan oleh dokter gigi di Makassar terhadap bahaya akibat penggunaan amalgam Prevention of dentists in Makassar to the risk of amalgam

Makassar is a big city with the highest number of dentists in South Sulawesi. Currently there are many dentists in thecity of Makassar using amalgam as a filling material for cheaper and more durable, so it is preferred by patients.Generally, they have ignored the dangers of exposure to mercury in amalgam through breathing or skin contact. For itwas on this descriptive observational study noted the efforts of Makassar dentist to prevent hazards due to the use ofamalgam in practice. From the general population of dentists who were registered as members of the IndonesianDentists Association (IDA) branch Makassar as much as 258 people, based on the opinions of Gay and Diehl withanticipation drop out of 20%, was obtained a sample of 100 people, but only 67 respondents (male = 13, female = 54)uses amalgam. The results are efforts to prevent the danger of amalgam achieved 51-75% by 32 respondents (47.7%),76-100% by 25 respondents (37.3%), 26-50% by 10 respondents (15%), and no respondents who seek prevention ofcross infection hazard to the achievement of 0-25%. Efforts to prevent with the achievement of 51-75% (32respondents) and 76-100% (25 respondents), could be said to have met the standard, concluded that 85% of dentists inMakassar have good enough prevention efforts to amalgam while doing their practice.

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

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.

Educational needs in the field of detection of domestic violence and neglect: the opinion of a population of French dentists

The attitude of French dentists concerning domestic abuse has hardly ever been documented upon so far. The purpose of this study is to investigate the attitudes, knowledge and practices of a population of French general dental practitioners towards the prevention and detection of signs of neglect and abuse in order to determine the educational needs both during undergraduate curriculum and continuing education sessions. A total of 418 general dental practitioners all practising in the French area of Puy de Dôme were invited to participate in the study. The survey was conducted with questionnaires including multiple-choice or open questions and VAS scales. The response rate was 54% (228/418). Only 5.7% of the practitioners systematically look for signs of neglect or abuse when treating their patients. 36% declare having already come across one or several cases of abuse and 48% having suspected at least one. The patients concerned were mainly women (54%). Only 28% would adopt an attitude in compliance with the French legislation if confronted with a case of abuse or domestic violence. 75.9% of the practitioners would like more training and assistance in the detection and care of abused patients and particularly as regards signs of abuse and the legal framework. More information and training concerning abuse and domestic violence is required in the French undergraduate dental curriculum in order to help practitioners deal with such patients.

Prevalence of clinical findings of carpal tunnel syndrome in Isfahanian dentists

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.

Diagnostic Dental Radiation Risk during Pregnancy: Awareness among General Dentists in Tabriz.

Background and aims Pregnant women often do not receive proper dental care in emergency visits due to a lack of awareness of the effect of radiation doses and the involved risks for the fetus. The aim of the present study was to assess the awareness of general dentists practicing in Tabriz, Iran, of the risks involved during exposure to diagnostic dental radiation in pregnant women. Materials and methods In this descriptive/cross-sectional study, 250 general dentists, who had attended continuing education courses under the supervision of the Faculty of Dentistry, filled out questionnaires on their awareness of radiation risks. Data was analyzed by Spearman's correlation coefficient test. Results The mean of correct answers was 6.47±1.66, with the least and highest correct answers of 2 and 10, respectively. The highest and the lowest levels of awareness were related to the use of a lead apron (92%) and a long rectangular collimator (3.2%), respectively. There was a statistically significant correlation between the age of practitioners and awareness of radiation risks (P=0.02). However, no statistically significant correlation was observed between job experience (P=0.25) and the number of continuing education courses attended (P=0.16) and awareness of radiation risks. Conclusion The studied population of dentists does not seem to have the sufficient knowledge regarding the diagnostic dental radiation risk during pregnancy. Further educational courses and pamphlets are recommended for increasing their awareness of this subject.

Local Anesthetic Syringe Ergonomics and Student Preferences

With a diverse population of dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants, there is a wide range of sizes and shapes of individuals. Ergonomic considerations have resulted in the design of many adjustable delivery systems, chairs, and pieces of equipment. Companies have marketed instrumentation specifically for people with small hands, yet little research has been done regarding the advertising claims. The objective of this study was to compare the perceptions of dental and dental hygiene students after they used a conventional syringe and a petite syringe that has been marketed as advantageous for individuals with smaller hands. The two syringes were compared for aspiration, injection, and sense of control. A total of 181 students were invited to serve as subjects in the study, and ninety participated. The study involved two phases. During phase I, students used conventional and petite syringes to give a simulated inferior alveolar nerve block injection. In phase II, students gave a simulated palatal injection using both sizes of syringes. After performing the simulations, the students responded to a questionnaire. The students reported that the petite syringe gave them control, and 62.2 percent of them preferred it to the conventional syringe. There were differences in preferences between female and male students and also differences in preferences based on students' glove sizes. The female students preferred the petite syringe when aspiration was required. Overall, the students who wore small and extra small gloves had a preference for the petite syringe and felt it provided a sense of control, a key component when learning to provide injections.

Dental School Applicants by State Compared to Population and Dentist Workforce Distribution

Millions of Americans face significant barriers that limit their access to oral health care, including the lack of dental health care professionals willing to provide dental services in underserved areas. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the geographic distribution of dental school applicants and the population and number of dentists by state. Data from the Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS), the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Census Bureau, and the U.S. Department of Commerce were used to determine the total number of dental school applicants, dentists, and populations by individual state. Results suggest that, based on national averages, the majority of states may have too few dentists to meet current and future state population needs. Also, many of these same states may have too few dental school applicants when compared to state population and dental workforce figures. It was concluded that states may wish to consider targeted initiatives aimed at increasing the sizes of their dental school applicant pools in order to help address current and future local or regional dental workforce needs.

Decline in Complete Dentures Patients\' Turn-Out in Dental Schools: Experience at UCH, Ibadan, Nigeria

The current study is designed to determine the trend in the demand for complete dentures by edentulous patients attending Ibadan dental school's prosthodontic out- patient clinic, compare the possible reasons responsible for the observed trend with those described for the American schools and to offer useful suggestions that would improve or sustain the turn- out of Ibadan dental schools prosthodontic patients. A six year (2000-2005) retrospective review of departmental and patients' records were undertaken. The information retrieved from the records include: age of patients, gender, year of presentation, amount paid for the prostheses and the number of students graduated per year. There was a steady decline in the total number of patients seen per two subsequent years from the year 2000-2005. There was a steady increase in the total number of students graduated per two subsequent years. The result also shows that the cost of complete dentures was upwardly reviewed on two occasions during the period under study. A downward trend in the number of complete dentures patient population at Ibadan Dental School was observed. The factors responsible may include: upward review of the cost of treatment, industrial actions, and lack of steady supply of consumables, electricity and pipe borne water. Increase in dentists-to patients ratio arising from the addition of new dental graduates to the existing dentist population may also have an effect. It is suggested that the above factors should be addressed and the image of dental schools as centers of excellence should be created. Nigerian Medical Practitioner Vol. 52 (3) 2007: pp. 60-64

Radiation protection protocol observed amongst dentist population in the union territory of Puducherry

The risk involved with dental radiography is certainly small in comparison with many other risks that are a common part of everyday life. However, there is no basis to assume that it is zero. Though the radiation dose levels in dental practice are relatively low, one should consider the cumulative effect of repeated exposures. There should be a striving for implementation of radiation protection measures and selection criteria for radiography in private dental offices. This article presents the results of the survey conducted in the private dental offices in the Union territory of Puducherry to gain insight into the knowledge and attitude of the Puducherry dentists towards radiation protection.