Bohay R N, Stephens R G, Kogon S L
Division of Oral Medicine and Radiology, University of Western Ontario, Faculty of Dentistry, London, Ontario, Canada.
Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 1995 Apr;79(4):526-31. doi: 10.1016/s1079-2104(05)80140-4.
The purpose of this study was to assess the radiographic practices of general dentists with emphasis on the influence of education on these practices.
Data were obtained from a mail survey of a stratified random sample of 963 general practitioners in Ontario, Canada, who graduated from the two provincial dental schools. Descriptive statistics were used, and associations were tested by Pearson's chi 2 analysis.
The adjusted response rate was 80%. For the new patient, 62% of respondents chose a type of predetermined protocol with the panoramic/bite-wing survey as the predominant choice. Only 37% of respondents chose to prescribe selectively according to the patient's needs. For recall patients, 55% of dentists used selective radiography, and of those who chose a protocol, the vast majority preferred bite-wing radiographs only.
Three influences on the dentists' choice of radiographic examination as suggested by the data were dental education, ownership of a panoramic unit, and who exposed the radiographs. These associations were statistically significant.
