Other
Allison C. Scully, DDS, MS
Assistant Professor
Indiana University/Riley Hospital for Children
Indiana University
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Juan F. Yepes, DDS, MD, MPH, MS, DrPH
Indiana University, Riley Hospital for Children
Allison C. Scully, DDS, MS
Assistant Professor
Indiana University/Riley Hospital for Children
Indiana University
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Purpose: Medical literature suggests that board certified physicians have lower rates of disciplinary actions. This study assesses if American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD) certified pediatric dentists (BC) have a lower incidence of state board disciplinary actions (DA) than non-ABPD certified pediatric dentist (nBC), and whether timely completion of the yearly renewal of certification (ROC) requirements or first-time pass status of the ROC examination are associated with DA.
Methods: Pediatric dentists identified by NPI Database Taxonomy or ABPD records practicing in the 5 most populous states of each AAPD district were included. Each dentist’s license was searched via public records for closed DA cases. Descriptive statistics and a negative binomial regression model with an offset of the log of years in practice were used at a 5% significance level (SAS 9.4, Cary, NC).
Results: Records for 8874 pediatric dentists were investigated: 5056 (54%) were BC; 8738 (98%) had no DA. Annual ROC requirements were completed on time for 95% and the ROC examination first time pass rate was 98%. Incidence of DA per year were significantly lower for BC dentists (0.08% vs. 0.21%, P < .001) and BC dentists with timely ROC completion (0.08% vs. 0.19%, P=.04). First time pass of the ROC Examination (P=.32) was not significantly related to DA.
Conclusions: The overall incidence of disciplinary actions is low for all pediatric dentists. However, pediatric dentists who have successfully completed the initial ABPD certification process and yearly ROC have a significantly lower incidence of disciplinary actions against their licenses.