The Effect of Continuing Education on the Performance of Periodontal Procedures By General Dentists.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of continuing education (CE) on the performance of periodontal procedures by general dentists in an attempt to identify change in behavior (clinical practice). The sample consisted of 37 dentists who had previously participated in a two-semester, day-a-week CE course in periodontics at The University of Michigan's School of Dentistry. The dentists completed a written questionnaire which provided information about: (1) demographic characteristics; (2) attitudes toward CE; (3) frequency and type of CE activity participated in; (4) factors influencing participation in CE; and (5) perceived changes in behavior as a result of participation in the course. During a visit to the office of each dentist in the study, the investigator reviewed a r and om sample of approximately 100 anonymous dental records dated six months prior to the dentist's participation in the day-a-week course and six months after the course. This review of 3,700 records allowed the investigator to: (1) identify the type and proportion of periodontal procedures performed by the dentist, e.g., root planing, periodontal charting, soft tissue curettage, gingivectomy, and Widman flap surgery; (2) identify the type and proportion of periodontal procedures performed by the dental hygienist; and (3) classify the performance of these procedures into a time period before and after the course. The most obvious finding of this study was the extent of change in the behavior (clinical practice) of dentists after participation in the course. Change in behavior, specifically increased performance of periodontal procedures (except for gingivectomy), was statistically significant at the .05 level. Not only did the clinical practice of the dentistss change but so did the clinical practice of the dental hygienists employed in the offices of the 37 sample dentists. The results of this study also support the claims of adult educators that increased age is not a deterrent to learning. The age of the dentist did not influence the amount of change in practice. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to the dental literature: the premise that participation in CE changes behavior, now has support.PhDAdult educationUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/159995/1/8412206.pd