Analysis of the demographic characteristics of pediatric dental practice sites.
OBJECTIVE
The purposes of this study were to: (1) investigate the demographic characteristics of pediatric dental practice sites in the United States; and (2) develop a model that identifies practice site characteristics commonly associated with pediatric dental practices.


METHODS
Demographic data and pediatric dental practices were organized by zip codes and analyzed using discriminant analysis. The demographic characteristics associated with zip codes that contained a pediatric dental practice were determined.


RESULTS
The resulting model correctly classified 92% of the 30,134 zip code areas, based upon the presence or absence of a pediatric dental practice. The variables most closely associated with a zip code containing a pediatric dental practice included: (1) number of dental practices (general practice); (2) percent of the adult population with a college degree; and (3) population size.


CONCLUSIONS
Demographic characteristics are predictive of sites with or without a pediatric dental practice. Zip codes with large, urban populations that have positive socioeconomic characteristics, such as high income and education levels, are the most likely to have a pediatric dental practice. There are a significant number of zip codes in the United States (1,712) that have the demographic characteristics associated with a pediatric dental practice site but do not have a pediatric dentist in them.
Institutional Research, The Texas A&M Health Science Center, College Station, Tex, USA. esolomon@bcd.tamhsc.edu
Eric S
ES
Solomon
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D003710:Demography; D004522:Educational Status; D005544:Forecasting; D005792:General Practice, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011156:Population Density; D011365:Professional Practice Location / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data