title: Identifying demographic variables related to failed dental appointments in a university hospital-based residency program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to identify characteristics of pediatric patients who failed to keep the majority of their scheduled dental appointments in a pediatric dental clinic staffed by pediatric dental residents and faculty members.
  
  
  METHODS
  The electronic records of all patients appointed over a continuous 54 month period were analyzed. Appointment history and demographic variables were collected. The rate of failed appointments was calculated by dividing the number of failed appointments with the total number of appointments scheduled for the patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 7,591 patients in the analyzable dataset scheduled with a total of 48,932 appointments. Factors associated with an increased rate of failed appointments included self-paying for dental care, having a resident versus a faculty member as the provider, rural residence, and adolescent aged patients. Multivariable regression models indicated self-paying patients had higher odds and rates of failed appointments than patients with Medicaid and private insurance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Access to care for children may be improved by increasing the availability of private and public insurance. The establishment of a dental home and its relationship to a child receiving continuous care in an institutional setting depends upon establishing a relationship with a specific dentist.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. kmmuju@dentistry.ubc.ca.
authors.forename: Kavita R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Mathu-Muju
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, in the College of Public Health, at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky., USA.
authors.forename: Hsin-Fang
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Pediatric dentist, Roswell, Ga., USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hicks
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, in the College of Dentistry, at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky., USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Nash
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Health Science, in the College of Dentistry, at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky., USA.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, in the College of Public Health, at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky., USA.
authors.forename: Heather M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Bush
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D002648:Child; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003740:Dental Clinics; D003796:Dental Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004497:Education, Dental; D005179:Faculty, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007347:Insurance, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007629:Kentucky; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data