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. 2022 Aug 25;3:957205. doi: 10.3389/froh.2022.957205

Table 5.

Association between participant characteristics and type of dentist.

Variables General dentist Pediatric dentist p-Value
N (%) N (%)
Province/territory:
Alberta 389 (12.5) 12 (11.0) 0.06
British Columbia 516 (16.5) 22 (20.0)
Manitoba 126 (4.0) 3 (2.7)
New Brunswick 219 (7.0) 3 (2.7)
Newfoundland and Labrador 82 (2.6) 1 (0.9)
Nova Scotia 44 (1.4) 0 (0.0)
Nunavut 2 (0.1) 0 (0.0)
Northwest Territories 2 (0.1) 0 (0.0)
Ontario 1,328 (42.5) 54 (49.1)
Prince Edward Island 32 (1.0) 0 (0.0)
Quebec 200 (6.4) 14 (12.7)
Saskatchewan 173 (5.5) 1 (0.9)
Yukon 9 (0.4) 0 (0.0)
Location of practice:
Census metropolitan 1,491 (48.1) 95 (87.2) <0.0001
Non-census metropolitan 1,607 (51.9) 14 (12.8)
Gender:
Male 1,825 (58.5) 64 (58.2) 0.95
Female 1,297 (41.5) 46 (41.8)
Year of graduation:
1951–1970 114 (3.8) 9 (8.4) 0.0024
1971–1980 481 (16.1) 25 (23.4)
1981–1990 768 (25.7) 22 (20.6)
1991–2000 649 (21.7) 26 (24.3)
2001–2013 972 (32.6) 25 (23.4)
Years in practice (mean ±SD) 20.6 ± 12.8 23.2 ± 11.7 <0.0001
Type of practice:
Group private practice 1,615 (51.7) 56 (51.0) <0.0001
Solo private practice 1,321 (42.3) 34 (31.0)
Non-private practice 186 (6.0) 20 (18.0)
Mean recommend a child should see a dentist (months ±SD) 20.4 ± 10.8 12.6 ± 5.2 <0.0001
Recommended age that child should see a dentist:
≤ 12 months 1,353 (43.8) 95 (86.4) <0.0001
>12 months 1,739 (56.2) 15 (13.6)
Age dentists believe that dental organizations in North America recommend a first dental visit:
As soon as the first tooth erupts and no later than 12 months 1,775 (58.7) 88 (59.5) <0.0001
Between 1–2 years 567 (18.8) 11 (18.5)
After 2 years and before attending pre-school 128 (4.2) 2 (4.1)
At 3 years 311 (10.3) 5 (10.1)
Don't know 242 (8.0) 2 (7.8)
Age dentists believe that dental organizations in North America recommend a first dental visit:
≤ 12 months 1,775 (58.7) 88 (81.5) <0.0001
>12 months 1,248 (41.3) 20 (18.5)
Ever seen a patient less than 12 months of age for an infant/toddler visit:
Yes 2,221 (73.5) 103 (95.4) <0.0001
No or don't know 802 (26.5) 5 (4.6)
Typically see patients under 12 months of age:
Yes 483 (16.0) 71 (66.7) <0.0001
No or don't know 2,540 (84.0) 37 (34.3)
Do not see patients ≤12 months of age, but refer to a colleague who does:
Yes 1,296 (55.7) 7 (24.1) <0.001
No 1,030 (44.3) 22 (75.9)
Actively discusses early childhood dental care with your patients:
Yes 2,598 (94.6) 96 (100.0) 0.019
No 149 (5.4) 0 (0.0)
Promotes early visits for infants and toddlers in your practice:
Yes 2,153 (78.4) 93 (96.9) <0.0001
No 594 (21.6) 3 (3.1)
Use “knee-to-knee positioning” when examining infants and toddlers:
Yes 1,579 (60.1) 80 (87.0) <0.0001
No 1,047 (39.9) 12 (13.0)
Important for a child to receive their first dental examination within the first 6 months of the eruption of the first tooth, or by 1 year of age:
Agree 1,233 (49.4) 80 (89.9) <0.0001
Somewhat agree 579 (23.2) 3 (3.4)
Neither agree nor disagree 352 (14.1) 3 (3.4)
Somewhat disagree 216 (8.7) 2 (2.3)
Disagree 115 (4.6) 1 (1.0)
Confident in my ability to perform a dental examination on an infant:
Agree 1,333 (53.4) 86 (96.6) <0.0001
Somewhat agree 700 (28.1) 1 (1.1)
Neither agree nor disagree 249 (10.0) 2 (2.3)
Somewhat disagree 158 (6.3) 0 (0.0)
Disagree 55 (2.2) 0 (0.0)
Confident in my ability to perform a dental examination on a toddler:
Agree 1,642 (65.8) 86 (96.6) <0.0001
Somewhat agree 602 (24.1) 2 (2.3)
Neither agree nor disagree 137 (5.5) 1 (1.1)
Somewhat disagree 77 (3.1) 0 (0.0)
Disagree 37 (1.5) 0 (0.0)
Staff actively encourages infant and toddler dental care:
Agree 683 (27.4) 75 (84.3) <0.0001
Somewhat agree 683 (27.4) 7 (7.9)
Neither agree nor disagree 709 (28.4) 5 (5.6)
Somewhat disagree 274 (11.0) 1 (1.1)
Disagree 146 (5.8) 1 (1.1)
Staff is comfortable dealing with infants and toddlers in our dental practice:
Agree 943 (37.8) 82 (92.1) <0.0001
Somewhat agree 873 (35.0) 5 (5.7)
Neither agree nor disagree 417 (16.7) 1 (1.1)
Somewhat disagree 193 (7.7) 1 (1.1)
Disagree 69 (2.8) 0 (0.0)
Would like to receive additional training on how to incorporate early childhood care into my practice:
Agree 625 (25.1) 11 (12.4) <0.0001
Somewhat agree 785 (31.5) 8 (9.0)
Neither agree nor disagree 608 (24.4) 21 (23.6)
Somewhat disagree 234 (9.3) 7 (7.9)
Disagree 243 (9.7) 42 (47.1)
Aware of CDA's position of the first dental visit:
Yes 1,552 (63.7) 82 (97.6) <0.0001
No 886 (36.3) 2 (2.4)