Practice activity trends among Australian private general dental practitioners: 1983-84 to 1998-99.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate time trends in practice activity.


METHODS
Four cross-sectional surveys across a 15 year period.


METHODS
Australian private general practice.


METHODS
A random sample of dentists.


METHODS
Dentists were surveyed by mailed questionnaire in 1983, 1988, 1993 and 1998 (response rates 71%-75%). Data were weighted to provide representative estimates for the age by sex distribution of private general practitioners in 1983, 1988, 1993 and 1998.


METHODS
Hours per year worked, patient visits per hour and patient visits per year.


RESULTS
The number of patient visits per year declined across the period, related to parallel decreases in the number of patient visits per hour (ANOVA; P<0.05), while there was no significant difference during the period in the number of hours per year devoted to work. The interaction of dentist sex by time of survey indicated that while numbers of patient visits per year had remained stable for female dentists, there was a trend for the higher number of patient visits per year among male dentists at the beginning of the survey period to decline over time.


CONCLUSIONS
Male dentists had higher levels of practice activity compared with female dentists, but a decline in the number of patient visits per year reflected a convergence of male practice patterns towards that of female dentists.
Brennan
D S
DS
AIHW Dental Statistics and Research Unit, Dental School, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Adelaide, South Australia.
Spencer
A J
AJ
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D001315:Australia; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005792:General Practice, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors