Objective To compare the level of prescribing and types of antibiotics prescribed for dental problems by general medical practitioners and dentists. Design Secondary analysis of standard consultation data and prescrip...
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Objective To compare the level of prescribing and types of antibiotics prescribed for dental problems by general medical practitioners and dentists. Design Secondary analysis of standard consultation data and prescription records from four different settings. Setting 30 participating general practices in the General Practice Morbidity Database for Wales in 1996. Subjects 1,185 attendances for tooth-related problems, at 30 participating practices in the General Practice Morbidity Database for Wales in 1996. Standard consultation records from a GDP emergency dental rota, and two weekend emergency dental clinics: one in a health centre, the other in a dental hospital. Results More than two thirds (68%) of attendances at general medical practices for tooth-related problems resulted in a prescription for antibiotics. In contrast less than a third (28%) of patients seen by a GDP rota, about half (52%) of patients at a weekend emergency clinic in a health centre, and just more than a third (38%) of patients attending the dental hospital clinic received antibiotics. General medical practitioners were also more likely to prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics than dentists. Conclusion For acute dental problems general medical practitioners are more likely to prescribe antibiotics than dentists. There also appear to be inter-professional differences in the tendency to prescribe broad spectrum antibiotics. Initiatives to rationalise prescribing for dental conditions may need to target doctors as well as dentists.
Objective To study career patterns of dental hygienists in Scotland Subjects and methods Questionnaires were sent to all the dental hygienists enrolled with the General Dental Council in 1998 who had addresses in Scot...
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Objective To study career patterns of dental hygienists in Scotland Subjects and methods Questionnaires were sent to all the dental hygienists enrolled with the General Dental Council in 1998 who had addresses in Scotland and those who were alumni of Scottish Schools of Dental Hygiene within the past 10 years. Results There was a 58.7% response (334 out of 569). A net loss of trained hygienists was not found. The results suggested that most would remain in employment for at least 30 years and about a third would retire early. Half were in full-time employment and 60% had been in continuous employment. Most of the remainder had personal reasons for ceasing work 39% had refused employment because of the poor level of pay. Conclusions The introduction of the a-year course has reduced output from schools of dental hygiene and demand for hygienists is high. Little hard information exists to support manpower planning in this area. This study suggests that there is little wastage of trained dental hygienists in Scotland. More data is required concerning employment opportunities and potential unmet demand for this group of PCDs to establish the number of training places required.
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