Farhan Raza Khan, Sadia Mahmud, Munawar Rahman.
Is There a Difference in Operative Dentistry Services Offered by Teaching versus Non-teaching Dentists in Karachi?.
J Pak Dent Assoc Jan ;23(1):30-5.

OBJECTIVE the clinicians in teaching institutions and private practices of Karachi and to compare the preferences of dental material and technique selection by the two groups. METHODOLOGY: It was a cross sectional study conducted at dental departments of academic institutions and selected dental practices in different parts of Karachi. The sample comprised of 71 subjects in the teaching while 97 subjects in the non-teaching group. Stratified random sampling was carried out. Data were obtained using a structured, self-administered questionnaire comprising of 10 questions. Chi square test of independence was used to asses, if pattern of services are different between the two groups. Kappa statistic was applied to assess the reliability of the information. RESULTS: The response rate in teaching group was 94.67% (71 out of 75) while in the practitioners group it was 44.1% (97 out of 220). The reliability of the information obtained in this study is considered as acceptable to good (Kappa value 0.53 to 0.72). There are significant differences between the groups regarding choice of restorations for cavities. The preferences regarding the use of Rubber Dam, Inlay-Onlay preparations, Gold crowns, Dentine pins, Amalgam Bonding, use of Retraction Cords, use of Bleaching Agents for teeth whitening and Porcelain Veneers were significantly different between the groups. All of these services are provided by a greater number of teaching dentists than the private practitioners. CONCLUSIONS: There are statistically significant difference in the preferences, selection of dental materials and pattern of dental services provided by the teaching dentists as compared to the private practitioners.

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