title: A questionnaire study to derive information on the working environment, clinical training, use of ancillary staff and optimization of patient radiation dose within UK dental practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the working environment of GDPs and Endodontists and the methods used to optimize patient radiation dose.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 857 GDPs and 170 specialist Endodontists were contacted. The responders, 603 of the former and 132 of the latter, completed a questionnaire covering practitioner demographics, pattern of practice, the use of radiographic techniques and the optimization of dose. Chi-squared tests were used to compare groups at the P=0.05 level of significance. For nonparametric data, the Mann-Whitney U-test was employed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A response rate of 73% was achieved. Overall, 79.5% of endodontic specialists used film holders compared with 65.9% of GDPs (P=0.001). One hundred and thirty (98.5%) endodontists and 581 (96.3%) GDPs reported that they were well prepared or adequately prepared in radiographically assessing the presence of apical pathosis. The study found significant differences (P<0.001) between the use of digital radiography by specialist endodontists 93 (70.5%) compared with general dental practitioners 167 (27.7%). Significant differences (P=0.004) were also observed in the use of rectangular collimation between endodontic specialists 55 (42%) and GDPs 223 (37%). With regard to the use of film holders in diagnostic radiography, 105 (79.5%) of endodontic specialists employed these devices compared with 396 (65.7%) GDPs; this finding was significant (P=0.005). For working length estimation, significant differences (P=0.001) were noted in the use of a film holder between endodontic specialists 105 (79.5%) and GDPs 386 (64%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both Endodontists and GDPs demonstrated compliance with guidelines relating to radiation protection being more significant amongst those clinicians working within specialist clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Orafi
authors.forename: V E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Rushton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003797:Dental Staff / Q000193:education; D004497:Education, Dental; D004499:Education, Dental, Graduate; D004708:Endodontics / Q000193:education; D005260:Female; D005792:General Practice, Dental / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010483:Periapical Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists'; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D011861:Radiography, Dental / Q000295:instrumentation; D019252:Radiography, Dental, Digital / Q000379:methods; D011871:Radiology / Q000193:education*; D013218:State Dentistry; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D017132:Workplace; D014962:X-Ray Film; D055815:Young Adult