title: Dentists' attitudes and behaviour regarding deep carious lesion management: a multi-national survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed, using a questionnaire, to assess and compare behaviour, attitudes and beliefs of French, German and Norwegian dentists regarding deep carious lesion management.
  
  
  METHODS
  A mail survey was applied to simple random national samples of dentists. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sample size was 661 (response rate, 33 %) in France, 622 (25 %) in Germany and 199 (33 %) in Norway. Hardness was the criterion used most often for assessing carious tissue removal in all three countries (>95 %), with most dentists aiming for only hard dentine remaining at the pulpal wall (>66 %); dentine colour was not found relevant by most respondents. The majority of French and German practitioners (>66 %) would perform complete excavation even for deep lesions, while most Norwegian dentists (84 %) opted for stepwise excavation. Most dentists thought complete removal was required to avoid lesion progression and were uncertain if remaining sealed bacteria would harm the pulp. Treatment decisions were guided by prior experience and familiarity. For example, stepwise removal was performed less often by dentists who were male, French, German or those in the private sector.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Less invasive strategies for managing deep lesions have not widely entered clinical practice in France and Germany. Underlying beliefs shape decision-making.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study is the first of its nature to analyse and compare deep carious lesion management between three European countries. It shows that there is an urgent need to practically educate dentists in less invasive strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Operative and Preventive Dentistry, Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Aßmannshauser Str. 4-6, 14197, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Falk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schwendicke
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Postboks 6050 Langnes, 9037, Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stangvaltaite
authors.affiliation: Aide Odontologique Internationale, 1 Rue Maurice Arnoux, 92120, Montrouge, France.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Holmgren
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Odontology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2492, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-003, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maltz
authors.affiliation: CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Service d'Odontologie, Hôtel-Dieu, F-63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France. Univ Clermont1, UFR d'Odontologie, Centre de Recherche en Odontologie Clinique EA 4847, F-63100 Clermont-Ferrand, France, 2 rue de Braga, 63100, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Finet
authors.affiliation: Department of Operative and Preventive Dentistry, Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Aßmannshauser Str. 4-6, 14197, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Elhennawy
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Postboks 6050 Langnes, 9037, Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Eriksen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Postboks 6050 Langnes, 9037, Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Tone Christiansen
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Kuzmiszyn
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Postboks 6050 Langnes, 9037, Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Eero
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kerosuo
authors.affiliation: CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Service d'Odontologie, Hôtel-Dieu, F-63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France. Univ Clermont1, UFR d'Odontologie, Centre de Recherche en Odontologie Clinique EA 4847, F-63100 Clermont-Ferrand, France, 2 rue de Braga, 63100, Clermont-Ferrand, France. sophie.domejean@udamail.fr.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doméjean
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Attitudes; Behaviour; Beliefs; Deep carious lesions; Dentists; Questionnaire survey