A qualitative investigation of the influence of time since graduation on English dentists' approach to the care of young children.
BACKGROUND
In the UK, general dental practitioners (GDPs) provide the majority of dental care to young children. The approach to undergraduate teaching of paediatric dentistry varies across UK dental schools. There is no understanding of how undergraduate teaching influences practice in the first few years after qualification and how this influence behaves over time as dentists mature as clinicians.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this paper is to gain a deeper understanding of the influence of time since graduation on how GDPs manage the dental care of their child patients.


METHODS
A qualitative study, with three interviewers conducted 93 interviews with GDPs practising in the north-west of England. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and content analysis was used with the purpose of identifying themes from the data.


RESULTS
Findings showed that formal postgraduate education was not a great influence upon the GDPs' approach to care over time. Change in approach was influenced by experiential learning over a GDP's career and external influences such as policy change, but this was not underpinned by any formal reflective practice.


CONCLUSIONS
Education is just one of many influences on clinical practice over the whole of a clinician's career. A gradual change in clinical practice is influenced by the personal experience of dentists treating children.
Dental Public Health, Liverpool PCT, Liverpool, UK.
Yvonne-Marie
YM
Dailey
Keith Martin
KM
Milsom
Laura
L
Pilkington
Anthony Stephenson
AS
Blinkhorn
Anthony George
AG
Threlfall
Martin
M
Tickle
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019140:Dental Care for Children; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D003815:Dentists / Q000523:psychology*; D004497:Education, Dental; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D005792:General Practice, Dental / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry / Q000193:education; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D013218:State Dentistry / Q000458:organization & administration; D013997:Time Factors
D003764:Dental Materials