A socioeconomic comparison of patients receiving prostheses in a two-tier delivery system.

It has been theorized that the legalization of providers of denture care other than dentists would make dentures more affordable to and therefore more often obtained by individuals of lower socioeconomic status. The delivery of dental prostheses by nondentists (denturists) has been legalized in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Montana, and Oregon. This study compares the socioeconomic and utilization patterns of two groups of patients receiving prostheses: (1) those whose prosthetic services were provided by dentists and (2) those whose services were provided by denturists. The sample included 135 participants; 31 individuals with 54 prostheses made by denturists and 104 individuals with 165 prostheses made by dentists. Application of the chi-square test and the Hollingshead Two-Factor Index of Social Position revealed no statistically significant correlation, (p less than 0.05) between the provider-based groups and standard socioeconomic variables. The history and pattern of choice of provider as well as level of satisfaction were also remarkable for the similarity displayed by the two groups. It would appear that the two groups are actually one homogeneous group served by two levels of providers.