Toward a typology of preventively oriented dentists

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Abstract
This study identifies predictors of preventive behavior among dental general practitioners in New York State[USA]. A total of 217 clinicians was interviewed by telephone. Dentists practicing in an urban area (n = 120) and in a rural area (n = 97) were studied. A unit-weighted index of clinician preventive orientation was created, by summing z-score values for two preventive variables: the number of content items and the number of patient visits in an organized preventive program that entailed more than one visit. Multiple regression of this preventive orientation index on selected independent variables showed that, for the entire sample, variables representing involvement in academic and institutional dentistry, exposure to education through journals and courses, a predeliction for innovation, and the presence of a hygienist in the office, were most influential in creating a model that successfully predicted reported preventive behavior. Differences between urban and rural clinicians in predictors of preventive behavior are also identified. Data collected are compared with those of four previous studies that attempted to describe potential predictors of preventive behavior in dentists.

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