Iraqi Dentists' Risk-Based Restorative Treatment Decisions

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the decision-making by Iraqi dentists concerning the use of restorations in the treatment of dental caries. Methods:  A cross-sectional study based on a self-administered questionnaire was conducted among 159 dentists who worked in public health sector in Baghdad during summer of 2016. A questionnaire which obtained information on age, attitude, knowledge and barriers, in addition to two scenarios designed to investigate dentists' restorative treatment threshold, was used. Paper patient cases (PPCs) were indicated high-risk (HR) and low-risk (LR) patients were also provided. Dentists were asked to point out at when they will start restoration of the teeth according to each PPC. Results: After checking for completeness, 90 questionnaires remained for data analysis. For HR scenario: Dentists with medium and high barrier scores (74.2%), and those with low and medium preventive attitude (78.6%) showed the lower scores in restorative treatment threshold. In LR scenario, we found an interaction between age and other predictors. Dentists ≤40 years old made better preventive decisions. Conclusion: The present study showed that age and good preventive attitude play an important role in making the restorative decision by dentists. Continuing education programs must be provided for Iraqi dentists to improve their preventive treatment decisions.