Differences in providing individualized caries prevention treatment across Dental PBRN

Objective: To identity practice characteristics associated with providing individualized caries prevention treatment in the Dental Practice-Based Research Network (DPBRN; www.DPBRN.org). DPBRN is a group of outpatient dental practices affiliated to investigate research questions across 5 regions: AL/MS: Alabama/Mississippi, FL/GA: Florida/Georgia, HP/MN: dentists employed by HealthPartners and in private practice from the Minneapolis, Minnesota area, PDA: Permanente Dental Associates in cooperation with Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, and SK: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Although caries prevention treatment may be a part of the treatment planning process, the extent to which practicing dentists provide individualized caries prevention treatment is poorly documented.

Methods: A survey was sent to all DPBRN member dentists who reported doing at least some restorative dentistry in their practices (n=915). The survey asked if caries risk assessment was used in their practices and what percentage of their patients: 1) are interested in an individualized caries prevention regimen and 2) are provided with individualized preventive treatment. Differences in frequencies were tested across a range of practice characteristics that included region, gender of the dentist, and practice model.

Results: 532 members responded. Caries-risk assessment was most common among practices where the dentist was female, with 51% of female dentists using individualized preventive treatment on more than 50% of their patients, compared to 34% for male dentists (p< .001). Having an individualized caries prevention regimen was most often preferred by patients of female dentists (p< .001), pediatric dentists (p< .001), and by practices in SK and PDA regions (p< .001). There were few practice-related differences in the belief that a dentist's assessment of caries risk can predict future caries.

Conclusion: The use of an individualized caries prevention program was most preferred by female dentists and their patients. Support: DE 16746, 16747.