Objectives: To ascertain beliefs of GDPs’ regarding the level of sensitivity of a dental check-up for caries.
Methods: Postal questionnaires were sent to a random sample of approximately 10% of GDPs working within the National Health Service in Scotland (n=250).
Respondents were asked to indicate which of 4 values (50%, 65%, 80% and 95%) were closest to their own estimation of the ability of a dental check-up to correctly detect caries.
Results: The response rate with one reminder was 51% (n=120/234 - taking into account 15 incomplete and 1 invalid questionnaire). The majority (63%) selected the “80%” level; 19% selected “65%”; 17% selected “95%”; 1% selected “50%”. The mean value was 79.5%.
Discussion: Evidence suggests that the sensitivity of a visual examination, even when aided by bitewing radiographs, is probably less than 50%, far lower than the respondents’ mean perceived accuracy. This mismatch between perceptions and the available evidence highlights a potential barrier to the widespread adoption of techniques with higher accuracy.
Conclusions: Respondents believed themselves to be more accurate in caries detection than research evidence suggests. It appears that GDPs may not perceive a need for increased accuracy in caries detection.