title: Predicting dental attendance from dental hygienists' autonomy support and patients' autonomous motivation: A randomised clinical trial.
abstract: To test the hypothesis that a Self-Determination Theory (SDT) intervention designed to promote oral health care competence in an autonomy-supportive way would predict change in caries competence relative to standard care. Further, to test the SDT process path-model hypotheses with: (1) the intervention and individual differences in relative autonomous locus of causality (RALOC) predicting increases in caries competence, which in turn would positively predict dental attendance; (2) RALOC negatively predicting dental anxiety, which would negatively predict dental attendance; (3) RALOC and caries disease referred to the dentist after an autonomy-supportive clinical exam directly positively predicting dental attendance; and (4) the intervention moderating the link between RALOC and dental attendance.
  
  
  
  A randomised two-group experiment was conducted at a dental clinic with 138 patients (Mage= 23.31 yr., SD = 3.5), with pre- and post-measures in a period of 5.5 months.
  
  
  
  The experimental model was supported. The SDT path model fit the data well and supported the hypotheses explaining 63% of the variance in dental attendance.
  
  
  
  Patients personality (RALOC) and hygienists promoting oral health care competence in an autonomy-supportive way, performance of autonomy-supportive clinical exams and reductions of anxiety for dental treatment have important practical implications for patients' dental attendance.
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Odontology, Department of Dental Hygienist Education , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Anne E Münster
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Halvari
authors.affiliation: b School of Business and Social Sciences , University College of Southeast Norway , Hønefoss , Norway.
authors.forename: Hallgeir
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Halvari
authors.affiliation: c Departments of Medicine and of Clinical and Social Pyschology , University of Rochester , Rochester , NY , USA.
authors.forename: Geoffrey C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: b School of Business and Social Sciences , University College of Southeast Norway , Hønefoss , Norway.|d Departments of Pyschology , University of Rochester , Rochester , NY , USA.
authors.forename: Edward L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Deci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003729:Dental Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010551:Personality; D011582:Psychological Theory; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: and dental attendance; anxiety for dental treatment; autonomy-supportive oral health care; caries competence; personality; self-determined motivation