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Table of means and standard
deviations of characteristics of dental practice(s) attended by Florida Dental
Care Study participants
|
Dental practice
characteristic |
Mean
(S.D.) |
Statistical
significance of association between the characteristic and tooth loss |
|
Practice
setting |
|
|
|
Number of general
dental practices attended |
1.2 (0.6) |
ns |
|
Number of specialty
practices attended |
0.2 (0.4) |
ns |
|
Practice busyness
rating |
2.3 (1.0) |
p = 0.049 |
|
Typical time a
patient has to wait … for a new patient exam
appointment (in days) for a restorative
dentistry appointment (in days) in waiting room (in
minutes) |
19.8 (25.9) 17.1 (21.1) 12.6 (9.3) |
ns p = 0.047 ns |
|
Percent of visits in
practice due to unscheduled care |
9.2 (9.9) |
ns |
|
Number of patient
visits each week done by dentist |
56.8 (28.8) |
ns |
|
Number of hours each week in direct
patient care |
31.9 (7.5) |
ns |
|
Number of dental chairs
regularly used |
4.6 (2.9) |
ns |
|
Patient
population |
|
|
|
Percent of
patients who are … covered by a private
insurance program covered by a public
program not covered by any
third party and pay own bills not covered and receive
free or reduced-fee care |
51.5 (22.5) 10.5 (13.0) 34.9 (21.2) 2.4 (5.7) |
ns ns ns ns |
|
Percent of practice charges derived from … dental insurance self-pay unpaid bills other |
51.3 (20.3) 41.3 (20.2) 4.7 (5.8) 1.7 (6.2) |
ns ns ns ns |
|
Percent of patients on
extended payment schedules |
14.7 (22.3) |
ns |
|
Percent of
patients who … seek care soon enough fear dentists visit dentists more
often than necessary complain about waiting pay their bills follow advice about
dental hygiene show for appointments
as scheduled take responsibility for
their oral health treat me with the
respect that I deserve want to know details
about condition of their mouths want to know details
about their treatment options use credit cards to pay
for their treatment |
59.3
(21.9) 37.1
(28.4) 3.7
(4.7) 5.7
(12.0) 84.8
(26.1) 54.1
(23.3) 85.3
(10.0) 66.9
(22.4) 85.4
(26.2) 68.8
(28.1) 73.3
(24.5) 19.2
(14.1) |
ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns |
|
Percent of
patients who are … 1-18 years old 19-44 years old 45-64 years old 65 years old or older |
14.7 (7.4) 29.9 (9.7) 35.6 (10.3) 19.2 (9.6) |
ns ns ns ns |
|
Percent of
patients who are … non-Hispanic White non-Hispanic Black Hispanic of Asian descent of other ethnicity |
64.2 (18.5) 29.2 (17.5) 3.6 (4.2) 2.1 (2.9) 0.3 (1.2) |
p = 0.035 p < 0.001 ns ns ns |
|
Dental procedure characteristics |
|
|
|
For dental
extractions ... what percent are replaced eventually by … Fixed bridge Removable partial or
full denture Dental implant Not replaced Other |
30.6
(23.9) 30.6
(17.5) 3.8
(8.0) 34.1
(22.1) 0.1
(0.5) |
p = 0.015 ns ns p = 0.040 ns |
|
Number dental
extraction patients each month |
24.6 (21.2) |
p = 0.003 |
|
Percent patient contact time dentist spends doing… non-implant restorative dentistry dental implants (surgery or prosthetic time) removable prosthetics dental extractions periodontal therapy (surgical and non-surgical) endodontic (surgical and non-surgical) other (preventive and diagnostic) |
56.3 (22.7) 1.5 (4.4) 12.0 (16.2) 9.4 (7.6) 3.6 (5.1) 7.4 (7.4) 9.0 (8.5) |
ns ns ns p = 0.036 ns ns ns |
|
Typical fee in
dollars for a … 2-surface amalgam 3-canal molar root
canal Single uncomplicated
extraction Cast partial denture Full denture Porcelain-to-metal
crown |
65.5 (24.3) 401.6 (184.7) 63.7 (20.9) 687.3 (288.6) 704.6 (321.9) 512.9 (154.7) |
ns ns ns ns ns ns |
|
Percent of
procedures you refer to other dentists… Periodontal surgery Prosthetic crowns and
bridges (other than implants) Implant surgery Implant restorations Full dentures Removable partial
dentures Anterior tooth root
canals Molar tooth root canals Endodontic surgery Non-surgical
extractions Surgical extractions Orthodontics |
75.3
(40.0) 2.1
(11.5) 87.4
(32.9) 32.1
(44.0) 14.1
(31.7) 1.5
(6.9) 25.4
(38.1) 61.6
(41.0) 85.6
(30.3) 22.0
(35.1) 61.0
(39.2) 94.5
(20.6) |
ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns |
|
Percent of
patients who receive the service at some time while in
your practice… Dental x-rays Diet counseling Blood pressure
screening Oral cancer screening
examination Oral hygiene
instruction In-office fluoride
application Fluoride gel/rinse
prescribed/recommended for home Patient education from
written pamphlets Patient education from
videos or slides Intraoral photographs
taken Intraoral video images
taken |
97.9
(6.8) 19.6
(25.7) 29.8
(34.7) 94.1
(14.0) 88.1
(18.6) 46.0
(29.6) 26.3
(23.9) 33.8
(29.4) 10.9
(26.7) 6.1
(13.3) 10.1
(22.9) |
ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns |
|
Dentist individual
characteristics |
|
|
|
Last two figures of
dentist’s graduation year |
73.5 (9.5) |
ns |
|
Dentist’s current age |
51.2 (9.1) |
ns |
|
Race/ethnicity of
dentist |
92%
male |
ns |
|
Sex of dentist |
90%
NHW, 4% AA, 6% Other |
ns |
|
Amount of
agreement with these statements… Patients should seek
second opinions … Patients are better off
not knowing all the facts … Dentists should present
all treatment options to patients. … the dentist should
try to convince the patient to accept it. … the patient should be
dismissed from the practice. |
4.1
(0.8) 1.8
(1.2) 5.3
(1.1) 3.4
(1.3) 2.3
(1.0) |
ns ns ns ns ns |
Statistical significance between a given practice
characteristic and tooth loss incidence was done using a multivariable logistic
regression. The outcome of interest (loss of a specific tooth)
was coded 1 if the tooth was lost, and 0 if not. Although the tooth is the unit of analysis,
clustering of teeth within persons is accounted for in the correlation
structure, allowing for both tooth-specific and person-level characteristics to
be tested. Other than the
practice characteristics variables, these tooth-specific and person-level
variables were included in each regression above: (a) tooth-specific variables
determined by direct clinical examination (periodontal (gum) attachment level,
upper/lower jaw location, tooth type, tooth severely loose, tooth had a
fractured filling, root fragment, tooth surfaces with fillings), and (b)
person-level variables (6-monthly symptoms reported during the interval by
interview: toothache and loose tooth), race, household income, and response at
baseline to a clinical scenario that queried whether the person would get a
dental extraction or a root canal and cap.
Table of correlations between
dental practice characteristics that were significantly associated with
incident tooth loss
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
1 |
1.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
0.55 |
1.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
0.65 |
0.62 |
1.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
0.37 |
0.37 |
0.41 |
1.00 |
|
|
|
|
5 |
0.44 |
0.33 |
0.60 |
0.40 |
1.00 |
|
|
|
6 |
0.40 |
0.30 |
0.36 |
0.71 |
0.38 |
1.00 |
|
|
7 |
0.38 |
0.41 |
0.32 |
0.29 |
0.20 |
0.25 |
1.00 |
Correlations shown are Spearman’s correlation
coefficients. Before coefficients were calculated,
each practice characteristics variable was converted to a quartile score (1 =
first quartile in that variable’s distribution; 2 = second quartile,
etc.).
All
correlation coefficients are statistically significant (p < 0.001).
1:
Racial/ethnic distribution
2:
Number patients receiving/referred for dental extractions
3:
Percent of extracted teeth that are replaced by a fixed bridge
4:
Waiting time for a restorative dentistry appointment
5:
Percent of extracted teeth that are not replaced
6:
Practice busyness
7:
Percent of time each day spent doing dental extractions
