A study of procedures to assess care and continuing dental education

Although some studies have been undertaken to assess the effectiveness of continuing medical education in improving the standard of medical care, no comparable studies have been made in the case of continuing dental education. This paper reports the results of a study in progress in the State of Washington, USA which attempts to assess the relationship between participation in various forms of continuing dental education and the quality of performance of selected aspects of dental care. One hundred and five dentists in general dental practice for more than 25 hours per week were studied by means of a questionnaire and by peer review of selected patients. Those forms of continuing education requiring active participation by the dentist rate more highly than more passive forms such as lectures, journals, etc. both in the acceptability to the dentist and in relation to the standard of dental health of his patients. There remain many variables which cannot yet be fully assessed which determine the dentist's perception of need for continuing education and its effectiveness in raising the standard of dental care which he provides for his patients.