Quality of preventive dental care :
Date
1983
DOI
Authors
Lakin, Linda B.
Version
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Consumer involvement in the dental care marketplace is increasing. Today, emphasis on quality assessment includes, the impact of peer review, continuing education and dental records review. In addition, the importance and complexity of evaluating actual preventive dental services rendered cannot be overlooked.
This project was designed to assess the quality of preventive dental care being rendered by measuring the presence or absence of services performed at the respondents' previous dentist.
A questionnaire was constructed and administered to 98 new patients at the Boston University Goldman School of Dentistry's Prevention Center and Division of Oral Diagnosis. The instrument gathered information about patients' past preventive dental experiences by examining the specific services rendered and the type of personnel performing the services.
Utilization patterns and characteristics of the last dental practice visited by patients were also examined to ascertain the quality of preventive dental services provided. It was found that the "typical" new patient visiting the Goldman School was Caucasian, below the age of 35, residing in the Boston area, educated beyond the high school level and in a white collar occupation.The "typical" dental office last visited by respondents was a solo practice, located in the Boston area, with a staff consisting of a middle-aged dentist, a dental hygienist and a dental assistant.
The frequency of performance of the preventive services most characteristic of a quality dental practice were identified. Those services found to be performed most often include: radiology exam; caries exam; and scaling/prophylaxis. Those services found to be performed least frequently include: nutritional/diet analysis; blood pressure screening; and oral cancer exam.
Description
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Thesis (M.Sc.)--Boston University, Henry M. Goldman School of Graduate Dentistry, 1983 (Dental Public Health).
Includes bibliographical references: (leaves 40-42).
Thesis (M.Sc.)--Boston University, Henry M. Goldman School of Graduate Dentistry, 1983 (Dental Public Health).
Includes bibliographical references: (leaves 40-42).
License
This work is protected by copyright. Downloading is restricted to the BU community. If you are the author of this work and would like to make it publicly available, please contact open-help@bu.edu.