Evaluating dental office ergonomic. Risk factors and hazards.

Concerns about ergonomic risk factors have been growing among health care and other workers. The authors undertook a study to determine the presence of certain ergonomic risk factors in typical tasks performed by dentists and dental hygienists. They further investigated--by means of electromyography and goniometry--the force, frequency and duration of the task. The study suggests that when a task's duration, force and frequency are accounted for, scaling, polishing, flossing and probing activities do not represent exposure to high ergonomic risk.

Differences in practice characteristics of capitation and PPO provider dentists.

This article is the last in a series of three articles compiling the results of the 1995 Managed Care Marketplace Information Survey conducted by the ADA Council on Dental Practice. It addresses practice characteristics of dentists participating in capitation and preferred provider organization plans.

Dentists' views about managed care: summary of a national survey.

This article is the second in a series of three compiling the results of the 1995 Managed Care Marketplace Information Survey conducted by the ADA Council on Dental Practice. This article addresses dentists' opinions on various statements regarding managed care. Most dentists had similar opinions regardless of whether they participated in managed care.

Demographics and practice characteristics of dentists participating and not participating in managed care plans.

This article is the first in a series compiling the results of the 1995 Managed Care Marketplace Information Survey conducted by the ADA Council on Dental Practice. It addresses the demographic and practice characteristics of dentists participating and not participating in managed care plans. Dentists with at least one contract were somewhat more likely to be located in the Pacific or Middle Atlantic regions, be female and have practiced less than 10 years. Dentists who participated in at least one managed care contract worked slightly more hours per week, saw slightly more total patients per week, saw more emergency and walk-in patients and had shorter appointments.

A review of dental HMO expenses: where do the dental premium dollars really go?

The savings and profits that managed care programs have realized in medical care have prodded managed care companies to look at dentistry for similar results. In this article, the authors evaluate the impact of various dental managed care plans by examining how they allocate premium dollars. Dentists and purchasers need this information to assure themselves that the plans allocate adequate dollars for the provision of care and that the premium dollars paid are used effectively and efficiently.

What is the cost of compliance?

The Association was long aware that compliance with infection control procedures and regulations was having a significant effect on dental practices. For that reason, findings from the current survey were not surprising. There was, however, an incontestable need to collect precise data on the impact infection control requirements were having on dental practices. This was particularly crucial given the marked differences between OSHA's own compliance cost estimates and the experiences of dental insurance carriers and dental practices. This article provides a brief overview of a very thorough and comprehensive survey. A more complete description of the findings will be presented to the 1994 ADA House of Delegates through council reports. Results also will be disseminated to ADA agencies for use in appropriate Association programs and activities.

Periodontal screening and recording: perceptions and effects on practice.

Despite recent clinical innovations, there are considerable periodontal treatment needs for the general population. This study shows that dentists believe the new periodontal screening method will be useful in determining and providing treatment needs.

The cutting effectiveness of carbide fissure burs on teeth.

The cutting effectiveness of the burs decreased with time. While the multivariate analysis of variance showed an overall difference among the three groups, these differences appeared to be due to the shape of the curves (the linear and quadratic components) rather than to their average location (the mean). Therefore there were no significant differences in cutting among the three types of burs tested. The SEM photomicrographs showed that there was no gross bur damage after the burs were used for cutting tooth structure. The cutting mechanism of a carbide bur on tooth structure needs further investigation.

The effect of finishing on the anodic polarization of high-copper amalgams.

The influence of surface finishing procedures on the corrodibility of high-copper amalgams was measured. Anodic polarization curves were determined in Ringer's solution for amalgam samples made from a dispersion and a ternary alloy. Three types of finishes were compared: as carved, burnished, and polished. The polarization curves of the burnished and polished specimens were statistically similar (P greater than 0.05) at all potentials investigated. The carved samples exhibited higher corrosion currents at most of the potentials investigated.