Bakhurji Eman, Scott Thayer, Mangione Thomas, Sohn Woosung
Preventive Dental Sciences Department, University of Dammam, College of Dentistry, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
J Public Health Dent. 2017 Jun;77(3):207-215. doi: 10.1111/jphd.12198. Epub 2017 Jan 10.
In 2013, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reached a binding agreement - a.k.a. the Minamata treaty - to decrease dental amalgam use. This study aims to investigate US dentists' current practice and opinions about amalgam use, and to determine factors affecting their amalgam use and opinions.
A total of 45,557 general dentists and 5,101 pediatric dentists were invited to participate in a pre-tested electronic survey. The survey consisted of 12 close-ended questions using a 5-point Likert Scale. The Qualtrics™ software was used to distribute the survey, followed by three reminders.
Response rate was 5.2 percent for general dentists, and 17.6 percent for pediatric dentists. Sixty-two percent of general dentists and 56 percent of pediatric dentists reported using amalgam. Most dentists disagreed with banning amalgam, while agreeing with installing amalgam separators. Environmentally conscious dentists were more likely to agree with banning amalgam and installing amalgam separators.
Responding dentists favor the continued use of dental amalgam. Their perspectives vary by several factors including dentists' environmental consciousness. Policies toward minimizing amalgam's environmental impact need to be implemented.
2013年，联合国环境规划署（UNEP）达成了一项具有约束力的协议，即《水俣公约》，以减少牙科汞合金的使用。本研究旨在调查美国牙医目前关于汞合金使用的做法和观点，并确定影响其汞合金使用和观点的因素。
共邀请了45557名普通牙医和5101名儿科牙医参与一项经过预测试的电子调查。该调查由12个使用5点李克特量表的封闭式问题组成。使用Qualtrics™软件分发调查问卷，随后进行三次提醒。
普通牙医的回复率为5.2%，儿科牙医的回复率为17.6%。62%的普通牙医和56%的儿科牙医报告使用汞合金。大多数牙医不同意禁止使用汞合金，同时同意安装汞合金分离器。有环保意识的牙医更有可能同意禁止使用汞合金和安装汞合金分离器。
回复调查的牙医倾向于继续使用牙科汞合金。他们的观点因包括牙医的环保意识在内的几个因素而有所不同。需要实施尽量减少汞合金对环境影响的政策。
