Public awareness and social acceptability of dental therapists.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate public awareness and the social acceptability of the use of dental therapists in dental care.


METHODS
A telephone survey of a representative quota sample of 500 adults (>18 years of age) in South Yorkshire, England.


RESULTS
Fifteen per cent of participants were aware of dental therapists as a professional group, of whom only three people correctly identified their 'permitted duties'. Those without problems of access to care were more likely to report awareness (P < 0.05). Fifty-seven per cent were willing to receive simple restorative treatment from a therapist, with acceptability predicted by being younger [OR 1.016 (95% CI: 1.015-1.017)] and having a perceived need for treatment [OR 1.301 (1.053-1.607)]. Fewer were willing to allow a therapist to restore a child's tooth (47%, P < 0.001, test for paired proportions) with acceptability predicted by being younger [OR 1.016 (1.015-1.017)] and being an irregular attender at the dentist [OR 1.309 (1.138-1.697)]. Forty per cent of participants expected to pay less for treatment provided by therapists with the acceptability of equal costs predicted by having access to care [OR 1.346 (1.017-1.781)].


CONCLUSIONS
These findings have implications for the use of dental therapists. They question patients' and the public's ability to provide informed consent for the treatment provided by them and identify a need for education of the public on the training and competence of therapists and the rationale for employing skill-mix in dentistry.
Department of Oral Health and Development, School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield, Claremont Crescent, Sheffield, UK. t.dyer@sheffield.ac.uk
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Dyer
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Robinson
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000766:Anesthesia, Dental; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D003727:Dental Auxiliaries; D003729:Dental Care / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D019140:Dental Care for Children; D003777:Dental Prophylaxis; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D004522:Educational Status; D004739:England; D005249:Fees and Charges; D005260:Female; D006267:Health Education, Dental; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011639:Public Opinion; D012923:Social Class; D012928:Social Desirability; D014081:Tooth Extraction