Provision of Government-funded and Pro Bono Dental Care: Are There Gender Differences?

Government-funded and pro bono dental care are important to populations with limited means. At the same time, dentistry is experiencing a gender shift in the practising profession. As a result, we aimed to determine the factors associated with the provision of government-funded and pro bono dental care and whether there are gender differences.

We conducted a secondary data analysis of the results of a 2012 survey of a representative sample of Ontario dentists. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariable analyses were carried out.

The 867 survey respondents represented a 28.9% response rate. On average, Ontario dentists reported that 15.7% of their practice consisted of government-funded patients and they provided $2242 worth of pro bono care monthly. Male and female dentists reported similar levels of both (p > 0.05). Being a practice owner and having more pediatric patients influenced levels of government-funded patients. Being internationally trained, of European ethnicity, single, and income status affected levels of monthly pro bono care. Gender-stratified analysis revealed that, among female dentists, household responsibilities was a unique factor associated with the proportion of government-funded patients, as was international training, personal income and ethnic origin for levels of pro bono care.

Overall, male and female dentists are similar in the provision of government-funded and pro bono care, but various factors influence levels of each in both groups.