Are dental practices less productive with older patients? Comparison of alternative output measures

This study assessed the effects of increased visits by older dental patients on alternative measures of time- and dollar-based practice productivity. The Minnesota Dental Practice Analysis System was used for analysis of data from 31 practices (12,818 patients visits) reporting increased visits by older adults between June, 1980, and December, 1984. Results suggested that the productivity effects associated with older patient visits were highly dependent on the practice output measure selected. While increased visits by patients aged 70 and over were associated with increased monetary productivity per patient visit, time and monetary productivity per practice day were found to decline. An association between increased proportions of older patients visits and increased dentist minutes per visit appeared to account for this. This econometric analysis tends to support the notion that dental practices are less productive with older patients.