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Environmental Health and Preventive... Nov 2016To assess the impact of occupational factors on the sex ratio of dentists' children.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the impact of occupational factors on the sex ratio of dentists' children.
METHODS
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.
RESULTS
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).
CONCLUSION
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.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Chi-Square Distribution; Child; Child, Preschool; Dentists; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Iran; Male; Middle Aged; Reproduction; Sex Ratio; Statistics, Nonparametric
PubMed: 27329277
DOI: 10.1007/s12199-016-0546-y -
International Dental Journal Oct 2022In many countries, periodontal surgery is mainly provided by periodontists. This specialty is not recognised in France, where periodontal care and treatment are...
AIM
In many countries, periodontal surgery is mainly provided by periodontists. This specialty is not recognised in France, where periodontal care and treatment are principally the responsibility of general dentists (GDs). The objective of this study was to investigate the periodontal care provided and factors associated with the treatment of periodontal diseases, including periodontal surgery, by GDs in France.
METHODS
A national cross-sectional survey of GDs practicing in the French metropolitan area was conducted in 2019. A self-administered questionnaire was sent by mail to the GDs selected by stratified simple random sampling. It included questions on respondents' sociodemographic characteristics and their periodontal practice. A multivariate logistic regression model was employed to identify the factors associated with the practice of periodontal surgery by GDs.
RESULTS
Three hundred eighty-five GDs responded (response rate, 23.4%). Their mean age was 45.2 years; 51.2% were male and 83.6% were in private practice. They reported performing selective periodontal examinations such as pocket probing on average for 34.2% of their patients, but only 5.5% of them performed them systematically. Several variables were significantly associated with the provision of periodontal surgical procedures such as the gender of the GDs, full mouth periodontal probing, implantology practice, insufficient fees, or uncertainty about treatment procedure. This survey confirmed the referral of patients for periodontal surgery by a minority of practitioners. It also highlighted insufficient screening and diagnostic procedures for periodontal diseases by GDs.
CONCLUSIONS
There is a need to improve French GDs' periodontal skills and knowledge and to address other barriers that currently limit their ability to deliver comprehensive periodontal care.
Topics: Cross-Sectional Studies; Dentists; Female; France; General Practice, Dental; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Periodontal Diseases; Practice Patterns, Dentists'; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 35422317
DOI: 10.1016/j.identj.2022.02.002 -
British Dental Journal Jun 2021Introduction Long-term orthodontic retention using removable or fixed retainers is needed to maintain the outcome of orthodontic treatment. The aim of this article is to...
Introduction Long-term orthodontic retention using removable or fixed retainers is needed to maintain the outcome of orthodontic treatment. The aim of this article is to describe how long-term retention is managed and to report on a survey of general dental practitioners (GDPs) as to how this management currently operates in the UK.Materials and methods GDPs were invited to complete a short online survey on orthodontic retention using an open notice posted in the British Dental Journal and a direct email to the members of a local dental clinical society.Results Fifty-six GDPs completed the online survey. Overall, the findings highlighted poor levels of communication between orthodontists and GDPs with respect to the latter assuming responsibility for the management of long-term retention.Conclusion The management of long-term retention could be improved by more effective communication between the orthodontist and GDP. One solution might be a retention management pro forma. GDPs are in some instances willing to undertake more of the management of retention following further training and possible remuneration.
Topics: Dentists; Humans; Orthodontic Retainers; Orthodontists; Professional Role; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 34117434
DOI: 10.1038/s41415-021-2875-5 -
BMC Oral Health Apr 2022During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, ordinary dental services were sustained in Nepal. Because a dental practice is considered to involve a high risk of...
BACKGROUND
During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, ordinary dental services were sustained in Nepal. Because a dental practice is considered to involve a high risk of infection, the needs of dentists should be identified, and demand-driven support should be provided. The purpose of this study was to investigate the situation and needs of dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to guide demand-driven support. First, we investigated how the situation of Nepali dentists differed according to their types of practices between private clinics and university/government hospitals. Second, we assessed the characteristics of dentists demanding four types of support: financial, material, technical, and guidelines/guidance support.
METHODS
A cross-sectional online questionnaire survey was conducted between July 28th and August 7th 2020. Closed-ended questions were prepared regarding behavior, material availability, economic and psychological impacts, training, and the main support dentists wanted to receive. The situation of dentists between private clinics and university/government hospitals was determined using a chi-squared test for each variable. To examine the association between the characteristics of dentists and four types of support, multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for each variable.
RESULTS
There were 352 dentists (137 males and 215 females) included in the analysis. Private clinic dentists experienced a bigger economic impact and demanded financial support that 45.5% of them did not receive a salary, compared to 18.9% in university/government hospitals. On the contrary, university/government hospitals experienced lack of PPE and demanded material support that 79.8% had personal protective equipment, compared to 92.5% in private clinics. Financial support was demanded significantly more by male than female dentists (ORs = 5.56; 95% CI = 2.96-10.45). Material support was demanded significantly more by dentists who received training regarding COVID-19 management (ORs = 1.96; 95% CI = 1.01-3.81). Technical support was demanded significantly less by male dentists (ORs = 0.44; 95% CI = 0.23-0.83). Guideline/guidance support was demanded significantly more by dentists who answered that Nepal Dental Association provided appropriate support (ORs = 2.21; 95% CI = 1.25-3.91).
CONCLUSION
This study articulated the diverse needs of Nepali dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic. Demand-driven support should be provided in the future.
Topics: COVID-19; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dentists; Female; Humans; Male; Nepal; Pandemics; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 35365151
DOI: 10.1186/s12903-022-02139-9 -
Clinical and Experimental Dental... Aug 2019From casual observation of our colleagues, only a few individuals use the dental dam for operative procedures in their faculty practice. The purpose of this study was to...
OBJECTIVES
From casual observation of our colleagues, only a few individuals use the dental dam for operative procedures in their faculty practice. The purpose of this study was to obtain faculty perceptions of the dental dam, quantify its utilization in their intramural faculty practice, and determine the factors that influence dental dam usage.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A survey containing 11 questions was sent to 19 faculty members who teach full time and maintain an intramural dental practice involving operative dentistry. Thirty electronic dental health records of the 19 providers were reviewed to gather the following information from restorative procedures they completed: isolation methods, tooth location and involved surfaces, and dental restorative material.
RESULTS
Overall, dental dam was utilized for 30% of all restorative procedures and was used less than 20% of the time for placement of class II and class III composite resins. Dental dam utilization rate by general dentists was 37% and 17.6% for prosthodontists. Those general dentists with prior history of military dental practice had a utilization rate of 78.6% and nonmilitary dentists only 7.6%. Eight faculty members responded to the questionnaire for a 42% return rate. Those who practiced dentistry in the military strongly agreed that the dental dam is the standard of care, improves their quality of restorative work, and should be documented in the dental record.
CONCLUSIONS
There were significantly different dental dam utilization rates between general dentists and prosthodontists and between dentists with prior military experience and those without.
Topics: Dentistry, Operative; Dentists; Faculty; Humans; Practice Patterns, Dentists'; Rubber Dams; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 31452948
DOI: 10.1002/cre2.191 -
BMC Oral Health Dec 2023Digital dentistry has revolutionized the way dental treatment is offered to patients. It became essential for dental practitioners to be well-informed about this...
BACKGROUND
Digital dentistry has revolutionized the way dental treatment is offered to patients. It became essential for dental practitioners to be well-informed about this technology to improve the quality of care offered and increase patient satisfaction. This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge, awareness, and perception of Egyptian dentists toward digital dentistry.
METHODS
An online-based cross-sectional study was conducted using social media platforms from November 2022 to March 2023. Our study sample included dentists with different levels of experience, specialties, and working in different health sectors in Egypt. A questionnaire arranged in 4 sections and 23 questions was used as the study data collection tool. The data were tabulated and analyzed using SPSS software.
RESULTS
A total of 402 participants filled out this questionnaire. 50.7% of which were females, 42.8% were between 20-29 years old and 42.3% were general practitioners. Furthermore, the main practice of 27.6% was in governmental dental clinics. Moreover, 47.3% and 64.2% of participants had Moderate knowledge and awareness respectively. While 75.9% of them had a high perception of practicing digital dentistry. Females and practitioners in governmental clinics had significantly lower awareness scores, while faculty teaching staff had significantly higher scores (P ≤ 0.05). On the other hand, practicing in the Great Cairo region and urban areas was associated with significantly higher knowledge scores (P ≤ 0.05). Similarly, Prosthodontists, periodontists, and restorative dentists had significantly higher scores when compared with general dentists (P ≤ 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
About half of the study participants had Moderate knowledge and awareness levels, while about three-quarters of them had a high level of perception toward practicing digital dentistry. Therefore, more attention should be given to providing dental education programs in this important field at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels by policymakers.
Topics: Female; Humans; Young Adult; Adult; Male; Dentists; Cross-Sectional Studies; Egypt; Professional Role; Surveys and Questionnaires; Dentistry; Perception
PubMed: 38049790
DOI: 10.1186/s12903-023-03698-1 -
Australian Dental Journal Mar 2022This study aimed to investigate the perceptions and opinions of orthodontists and periodontists on the management of gingival recession in orthodontic patients.
BACKGROUND
This study aimed to investigate the perceptions and opinions of orthodontists and periodontists on the management of gingival recession in orthodontic patients.
METHODS
An online survey was sent to 29 periodontists and 80 orthodontists registered and currently practising in New Zealand. All participants answered questions about the timing and clinical indications of mucogingival surgeries in orthodontic patients diagnosed with mucogingival deformities.
RESULTS
Most periodontists and orthodontists believed that gingival grafts should ideally be performed after orthodontic treatment. In clinical practice, 40% of periodontists indicated that they would receive referrals after completion of orthodontic treatment. However, 29.6% of orthodontists indicated that they would refer to a periodontist before orthodontic treatment in clinical practice. The most crucial factor that affected periodontists' decision-making was 'evidence-based guidelines' (35.0%), followed by 'clinical experience' (30.0%) and 'patient concerns' (15.0%). All four factors of 'gingival phenotype', 'presence of gingival recession', 'amount of keratinised tissue' and 'planning specific tooth movements' were equally considered by orthodontists regarding their decision-making.
CONCLUSIONS
The majority of the surveyed New Zealand periodontists and orthodontists expressed a belief that the ideal timing for the management of gingival recessions would be after the completion of orthodontic treatment.
Topics: Humans; Gingival Recession; Orthodontists; New Zealand; Dentists; Tooth Movement Techniques
PubMed: 35527478
DOI: 10.1111/adj.12914 -
International Dental Journal Jun 2018The recognition of work stressors and their links to sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviours and coping strategies is important for enhancing the working...
BACKGROUND
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.
AIM
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.
STUDY DESIGN
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.
RESULTS
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.
CONCLUSION
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.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dentists; Female; Health Behavior; Humans; Job Satisfaction; Male; Romania; Salaries and Fringe Benefits; Socioeconomic Factors; Stress, Psychological; Work Schedule Tolerance; Workload
PubMed: 29315538
DOI: 10.1111/idj.12361 -
PloS One 2020Clinical decision-making is a complex process influenced by clinical and non-clinical factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between provider,...
Clinical decision-making is a complex process influenced by clinical and non-clinical factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between provider, patient, and practice factors with clinical decision-making among dentists in Ontario, Canada's most populated province and its largest dental care market. This was a cross-sectional, self-administered survey of a random sample of general dentists in Ontario (n = 3,201). The 46-item survey collected demographic, professional, and practice information. The outcome (treatment intensity) was measured using a set of clinical scenarios, which categorized dentists as either relatively aggressive or conservative in their treatment decisions. Associations were assessed using bivariate analysis and logistic regressions. One thousand and seventy-five dentists responded (33.6% response rate). Age (p = 0.001), place of initial training (p<0.001), number of dependents (p = 0.001), number of hygienists employed (p = 0.001), and perceptions of practice loans (p = 0.020) were associated with treatment intensity. Dentists who were <40-years old (OR = 2.06, 95% CI:1.39-3.06, p<0.001), American-trained (OR = 2.48, 95% CI:1.51-4.06, p<0.001), and perceived their practice loans as large (OR = 1.57, 95% CI:1.02-2.42, p = 0.039), were relatively more aggressive in their treatment decisions. Various non-clinical factors appear to influence the clinical decision-making of dentists in Ontario.
Topics: Adult; Clinical Decision-Making; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dentists; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Ontario; Practice Patterns, Dentists'; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 32502170
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233652 -
Dental and Medical Problems 2020Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been declared a global public health emergency that is affecting people across the globe.
BACKGROUND
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been declared a global public health emergency that is affecting people across the globe.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to assess the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) of dental practitioners regarding the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-2019) pandemic.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
An online questionnaire was distributed among dentists across the globe using a combination of convenience and snowball sampling. The questionnaire was divided into 4 sections: the 1st one contained personal information, whereas the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sections assessed knowledge (11 questions), attitudes (6 questions) and practices (7 questions) of the dentists. The data was subjected to the Shapiro-Wilk test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), multivariate linear regression, and Pearson's correlation; 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated and odds ratio (OR) was obtained. The analysis was done using IBM SPSS for Windows, v. 21.0.
RESULTS
The total number of the responses received (860) was divided with regard to various continents (Asia, Americas - North and South, Europe, Africa, and other - Australia and Antarctica). The largest number of dentists came from the Asian continent (264; 30.7%). Most dentists had a degree of MDS (Master of Dental Science) (301; 35.0%), followed by BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) (282; 32.8%) and DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) (226; 26.3%). High/Good knowledge and practice scores were observed among 92.7% and 79.5 % of the dentists, respectively. Good knowledge scores were significantly associated with qualifications (p = 0.04) and years of practice (p = 0.02); good practice scores were associated with qualifications only (p = 0.03).
CONCLUSIONS
The dentists were found to have good knowledge and practice scores, which is important to combat COVID-19. They are advised to follow the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines in their clinics, and sensitize their staff so that no stone is left unturned in defeating this pandemic.
Topics: Betacoronavirus; COVID-19; Coronavirus Infections; Dentists; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral; SARS-CoV-2; Surveys and Questionnaires; Time Factors
PubMed: 32307930
DOI: 10.17219/dmp/119743