The Longitudinal Study of Dentists’ Practice Activity

The Longitudinal Study of Dentists’ Practice Activity has collected information on dentists, practices, and services from a random sample of 10% of male dentists and 40% of female dentists in each State/Territory of Australia at five-year-intervals since 1983-84. Sample supplementation at each follow-up wave has added a sample of dentists from among those who were new to the dental registers since the previous wave of the study. This maintains the longitudinal component of the sample while providing representative cross-sectional estimates. Data have been collected in 1983-84, 1988-89, 1993-94, 1998-99 and 2003-04. Analyses have focussed on patterns and trends in practice activity measures such as hours worked per year and patient visits supplied by dentists and on service provision measures such numbers of services provided per patient visit.

Principle Investigators: Brennan DS, Spencer AJ.