The attitudes of dentists in Indiana toward the treatment of patients with cerebral palsy

Abstract

The attitudes of Indiana dentists toward the treatment of cerebral palsied patients were investigated. A two-page questionnaire constructed by the investigator was used. A sample of 506 dentists were selected: 402 general practitioners chosen on the basis of year of graduation, location and community size; and 104 specialists chosen on the basis of geographic location and type of practice. All of the practicing specialties were represented. Eighty percent of the questionnaires were returned, including 75 percent of general practitioners and 97 percent of specialists. The first hypothesis, that general practitioners are reluctant to treat cerebral palsied patients, was disproved. Forty-eight percent of the general practitioners had treated one or more such patients in the past year and 84 percent indicated willingness to treat these patients. The general practitioners cited a lack of proper equipment and a feeling of apprehension as problems. The second hypothesis, that the general practitioner in a community of less than 2,500 is more reluctant to treat cerebral palsied patients than those in a larger city, was also disproved. No statistically significant difference was found based on community size. The third hypothesis, that the general practitioner who has graduated from dental school within the last 10 years is less reluctant to treat these patients than earlier graduates, was also disproved. No statistically significant difference was found between these groups. The fourth hypothesis, that the general practitioner feels that he did not receive adequate education concerning treatment of these patients and is willing to acquire more knowledge, was verified. The fifth hypothesis, that the specialist is less reluctant to treat patients with cerebral palsy than is the general practitioners was verified. Nearly 90 per cent of the specialists indicated a willingness to treat patients with cerebral palsy.