[The image of general practitioners compared to that of dentists in the Netherlands]

The image of the professions of family doctor and dentist in the Netherlands was investigated by means of a questionnaire distributed online and in four cities. In total, 270 questionnaires were analysed. The dentist was seen more as a businessman, a solo performer for whom the interests of the patient were less highly prioritised, who,was less communicative, more associated with pain, more distant, less open to dialogue and could be trusted less than the general practitioner. Respondents also felt less safe at the dentist's office than at the general practitioner's. On average, respondents rated the general practitioner significantly higher than the dentist. Dentists scored significantly lower than general practitioners on eleven of the twelve statements. The score of the profession dentist was not significantly different from that of general practitioner in only one category, professionalism. These results indicate that the image of the dental profession is worse than that of the general practitioner.