Transcript Public Attitudes Toward Dentists”

“Public Attitudes
Toward Dentists”
A U. S. Household Survey
Journal of American
Dental Association
November, 1995
Respondents’
Evaluations
1. How much trust or confidence would you
say you have in dentists and physicians in
general?
DMD
MD
%
Nome
2.0
2.8
A Little
13.4
13.9
Moderate Amount 49.6
56.9
Great Deal
35.0
26.4
Respondents’
Evaluations
2. How much respect would you
say you have for the dental
profession?
None
A Little
Moderate Amount
Great Deal
1.2%
8.4%
48.5%
41.8%
Public’s Ratings of
Eight Aspects of Care
Rank Ordered
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8
Ethical conduct
Diagnosis/Treatment
Communication
Prevention
Sensitivity to cost
Sensitivity to pain
Appropriate use of technology
Cooperation with other health
care professionals
Discussion
• The public and dental
profession both rated ethical
conduct; diagnosis/treatment,
communicating with patients
and preventing disease as
important aspects of care.
• However, the public rated cost
or care, appropriate use of
technology and cooperation
with other professionals high as
well
Discussion
• The results of this study suggest that
practitioners need to consider ways
to make the cost of care more
manageable, and to use advancing
technology appropriately.
• Improvement is needed in teaching
dentists how to more effectively
communicate with their patients.
Both groups of respondents
indicated patient communication was
extremely important, however only
52% of the dentists believed they
were well prepared to communicate
effectively with patients.