Does the skin color of patients influence the treatment decision-making of dentists? A randomized questionnaire-based study.
Autor: | Chisini LA; Federal University of Pelotas, 457, Gonçalves Chaves St. 5th floor, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, 96015-560, Brazil., Noronha TG; Federal University of Pelotas, 457, Gonçalves Chaves St. 5th floor, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, 96015-560, Brazil., Ramos EC; Federal University of Pelotas, 457, Gonçalves Chaves St. 5th floor, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, 96015-560, Brazil., Dos Santos-Junior RB; Department of Dentistry, Federal University of Sergipe, Cláudio Batista St., Aracaju, 49060-108, Brazil., Sampaio KH; Federal University of Pelotas, 457, Gonçalves Chaves St. 5th floor, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, 96015-560, Brazil., Faria-E-Silva AL; Department of Dentistry, Federal University of Sergipe, Cláudio Batista St., Aracaju, 49060-108, Brazil., Corrêa MB; Federal University of Pelotas, 457, Gonçalves Chaves St. 5th floor, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, 96015-560, Brazil. marcosbrittocorrea@hotmail.com. |
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Jazyk: | angličtina |
Zdroj: | Clinical oral investigations [Clin Oral Investig] 2019 Mar; Vol. 23 (3), pp. 1023-1030. Date of Electronic Publication: 2018 Jun 23. |
DOI: | 10.1007/s00784-018-2526-7 |
Abstrakt: | Objective: To investigate whether patients' skin color could exert an influence on the dentist's decision-making for treatment, in four different cities in Brazil. Material and Methods: Lists of dentists were obtained and the sample selection was performed systematically. Two questionnaires were produced for the same clinical case, but the images were digitally manipulated to obtain a patient with a black and a white skin color. Dentists were free to choose treatment without any restrictions, including the financial aspects. A random sequence (white or black) was generated which was placed at random in sealed, opaque envelopes. Dentists were questioned about the decision on the treatment of a severely decayed tooth and an ill-adapted amalgam restoration. Results: A total of 636 dentists agreed to participate in the study. After adjustments (multinomial logistic regression), it was observed that the black patient with a decayed tooth had a 50% lower risk of being referred for prosthetic treatment (p = 0.023) and a 99% higher risk of receiving a composite resin restoration, compared to the white patient (p = 0.027). No differences were observed regarding recommendation for tooth extraction (p = 0.657). In relation to an ill-adapted amalgam, the black patient had less risk of receiving a referral replacement with composite resin (0.09 95%CI [0.01-0.82]) and finishing and polishing (0.11 5%CI [0.01-0.99]) compared with the white patient. Conclusion: Patient skin color influenced the dentist's choice of treatment. In general, black patients receive referrals for cheaper, simpler procedures. Clinical Significance: Skin color played an important role in dentists' treatment decisions. Professionals may contribute unconsciously to the propagation and replication of racial discrimination. |
Databáze: | MEDLINE |
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