Comparing Military and Civilian Dentists' Treatment Planning Decisions: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Dental Public Health
• Clinical Dentistry
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Clinical decision-making in dentistry shows variation, particularly between public and private sectors.
• Understanding these differences is crucial for military dental readiness, impacting diagnosis, treatment planning, and care delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare treatment planning recommendations between civilian and military dental providers.
• To identify potential differences in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of patient-level data from the 2018 Recruit Surveillance study (n=1208).
• Comparison of treatment planning outcomes (noninvasive, operative, oral surgery, referrals) between civilian and military providers.
• Multivariate and logistic regression analyses were used to examine tooth-level and patient-level data.

Main Results:

• Significant differences (P < .05) in treatment planning were observed between civilian and military dentists.
• Civilian dentists were more likely to recommend orthodontic referrals, remineralization, and direct restorations over crowns.
• Military dentists were more likely to recommend sealants for sound or carious tooth surfaces.

Conclusions:

• Substantial variations exist in treatment planning between civilian and military dental providers.
• Civilian providers favor orthodontic referrals, remineralization, direct restorations, and third molar extractions.
• Military providers tend to favor sealants, indicating distinct practice patterns that warrant further investigation.