General practice residency training and subsequent clinical production

An increasing number of newly graduated dentists are entering general practice residency (GPR) training programs. These programs have been suggested as a means of coping with a rapidly expanding knowledge base without resorting to a mandatory fifth year of predoctoral education or increasing specialization within the profession. This study examines the relationship of general practice training to subsequent clinical production among dentists employed by the Indian Health Service. The quantity and type of services provided by a group of dentists with previous GPR training were compared to services provided by a group without similar training. After adjustment for years of service and number of dental auxiliaries, no significant differences between the groups were found. However, no inferences can be made about the appropriateness or quality of the services delivered based solely upon productivity data.