Adult Patient Visits to Physicians for Dental Problems

Background And Objectives: Most physicians lack substantive training in dentistry and are usually not capable of providing definitive dental care. Therefore, physician offices are generally not the most appropriate site for the management of most dental problems. This study was conducted to examine the rate with which patients visit physician offices for the treatment of dental problems and their satisfaction with the treatment received.

Methods: Data on dental related problems were collected through a random telephone survey of English-speaking Maryland residents over the age of 20. A random digit dial methodology was used to generate the sampling frame. A total of 811 interviews were conducted. The overall survey has a margin of error of +/- 3.44% at the 95% confidence level.

Results: 5.6% of respondents reported seeing a physician for a dental problem during the prior year. Almost 80% reported being satisfied with the treatment received, while 36.4% reported needing follow-up care with a dentist for treatment of the same problem. Respondents expressing greater satisfaction with their visit to the physician were less likely to report needing to see a dentist for follow-up care (p < .05).

Conclusions: Additional studies are needed to assess the quality and appropriateness of physician management of dental problems.