title: Dentists' training and willingness to treat adolescents with learning disabilities: the mediating role of social and clinical factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test a theoretical model based on Cohen's dental profession factors (training; practitioner attitudes; geography) to investigate practitioners' willingness to treat adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) in primary dental care.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of all 537 primary care dentists working in a mainly urban area of Northern Ireland and a more rural area of Scotland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Willingness to treat adolescents with LD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaire survey of demographic profile, undergraduate education, current knowledge, attitudes towards individuals with LD and willingness to treat this patient group. A path analytical approach (multiple meditational model) was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred dentists participated giving a valid response rate of 61%. Undergraduate education and current knowledge (training) strengthened a social model perspective promoting positive attitudes and willingness to treat adolescents with LD. Undergraduate education and current knowledge about disability did not significantly contribute to dentists whose attitudes were underpinned by the medical model of disability. Therefore geography (rural or urban location) was not an influential factor in willingness to treat adolescents with LD. This does not exclude the possibility that area of work may have an influence as a consequence of undergraduate university attended.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This model identifies the importance of undergraduate and continuing dental education with regard to modifying professional attitudes (social and clinical factors) to assist practitioners treat adolescents with LD and provide them with inclusive dental services in primary dental care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Dental Health, University Dental Hospital of Mancheste, UK.
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Coyle
authors.affiliation: Health Psychology, School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, UK.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Humphris
authors.affiliation: Dental Health Services Research Unit, Dundee Dental School, University of Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Freeman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D003815:Dentists / Q000523:psychology*; D004497:Education, Dental; D004522:Educational Status; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009660:Northern Ireland; D011320:Primary Health Care; D016079:Refusal to Treat; D012606:Scotland; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires