title: Expanded function allied dental personnel and dental practice productivity and efficiency.
abstract: This study examined the impact of expanded function allied dental personnel on the productivity and efficiency of general dental practices. Detailed practice financial and clinical data were obtained from a convenience sample of 154 general dental practices in Colorado. In this state, expanded function dental assistants can provide a wide range of reversible dental services/procedures, and dental hygienists can give local anesthesia. The survey identified practices that currently use expanded function allied dental personnel and the specific services/procedures delegated. Practice productivity was measured using patient visits, gross billings, and net income. Practice efficiency was assessed using a multivariate linear program, Data Envelopment Analysis. Sixty-four percent of the practices were found to use expanded function allied dental personnel, and on average they delegated 31.4 percent of delegatable services/procedures. Practices that used expanded function allied dental personnel treated more patients and had higher gross billings and net incomes than those practices that did not; the more services they delegated, the higher was the practice's productivity and efficiency. The effective use of expanded function allied dental personnel has the potential to substantially expand the capacity of general dental practices to treat more patients and to generate higher incomes for dental practices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Craniofacial Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030, USA. beazoglou@nso1.uchc.edu
authors.forename: Tryfon J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Beazoglou
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Vickie F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Lazar
authors.forename: L Jackson
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Subhash C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: Dennis R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Heffley
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Howard L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Bailit
mesh_terms: D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D003120:Colorado; D032022:Delegation, Professional / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003727:Dental Auxiliaries / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003729:Dental Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003770:Dental Offices / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003815:Dentists / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005376:Financial Management / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D005792:General Practice, Dental / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010361:Patients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011215:Practice Management, Dental / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011331:Private Practice / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration