TABLE 1.

Characteristics of dentists and practices (n = 3,042) completing the 2008 survey regarding guidelines for infection control in dental care settings.^*

VARIABLE	NO. OF RESPONDENTS†	ESTIMATED‡ NO. OF DENTISTS	ESTIMATED‡ PERCENTAGE OF DENTISTS
Age (Years)
Younger than 45	491	17,795	16.8
45–54	1,038	36,444	34.5
55–64	1,091	37,302	35.3
65 or older	422	14,114	13.4
Sex
Female	406	14,761	14.0
Male	2,635	90,856	86.0
Race or Ethnicity
White	2,500	86,114	88.1
Other	316	11,627	11.9
Practice Location
Metropolitan area	2,582	88,971	84.2
Nonmetropolitan area	460	16,684	15.8
U.S. Census Division
New England	183	6,073	5.8
Middle Atlantic	488	16,772	15.9
East North Central	505	17,738	16.8
West North Central	236	8,798	8.3
South Atlantic	496	16,598	15.7
East South Central	102	3,628	3.4
West South Central	256	8,793	8.3
Mountain	210	7,598	7.2
Pacific	566	19,655	18.6
Practice Specialty
General practice	2,225	84,730	80.2
Oral and maxillofacial surgery	296	4,388	4.2
Periodontics	289	3,139	3.0
All other specialties	232	13,326	12.6
Practice Size (Total No. of Employees)
1–3	827	29,066	27.5
4–5	987	34,670	32.8
6–8	761	26,621	25.2
9 or more	467	15,297	14.5
Average No. of Hours Worked per Week
Fewer than 31	735	25,620	24.2
31–35	1,006	35,361	33.5
36–40	1,025	36,139	34.2
41 or more	276	8,535	8.1
No. of Years in Current Practice
Fewer than 10	446	15,819	15.7
10–19	777	26,649	26.4
20–29	966	33,663	33.3
30+	796	24,835	24.6
No. of Infection Control CDE§ Credits Earned Since 2004
0	422	13,924	14.9
1–5	835	28,729	30.8
6–10	834	29,320	31.4
11 or more	613	21,398	22.9

^*Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as documented by Kohn and colleagues.⁴

^†Respondents with missing data or for whom these items did not apply were excluded from these analyses.

^‡Estimates have been weighted to the total population of 115,437 U.S. practicing dentists who owned or co-owned their practices.

^§CDE: Continuing dental education.