The use of ART among pediatric dentists: A conjoint analysis

Methods: A conjoint survey was sent to a random sample of 2237 members registered as specialists by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. We identified three factors (age of the child, level of cooperation, type of insurance) and varied each across three levels to create a nine cell conjoint design (9 clinical scenarios). We were then able to elicit weights practitioners place on these factors. Factors such as lesion location, depth and extension were fixed in the nine clinical scenarios Results: 723 pediatric dentists completed the survey with a response rate of 32%. Age of the child had the biggest importance in pediatric dentists' decisions to use ART (46%) compared to level of cooperation (41%) and type of insurance coverage (11%). For the age factor, age of two years had the greatest utility (0.55) compared to age 4 (-0.09) and age 6 (-0.46). For types of insurance coverage, having no insurance (0.124) had the greatest utility compared to having public insurance (-0.119). Conclusion: Conjoint Analysis is a valid procedure to show the relative importance practitioners place on different factors that may influence their decision to use ART. Overall, being very young and/or uncooperative are the most important reasons practitioners use ART. Although insurance coverage was the least important factor overall, being without insurance was identified as being an additional determining factor in decisions to use ART in this conjoint analysis.