Objectives: To assess dental practitioners' views on the need to treat developmental defects of enamel (DDE). In addition, to identify factors associated with practitioners' treatment decision (tooth factors and dentist-related).
Methods: A random sample of 300 Hong Kong dentists were sent a booklet containing computer-generated images of various forms of DDE and asked to rate the treatment need. In addition, some dentist-related information was collected.
Results: The response rate was 79% (237/300). The majority of the dental practitioners considered that aesthetic treatment was indicated for people with DDE subtypes of brown demarcated opacities (51.0%), confluent/patchy plus staining and/or loss of enamel (80.2%), missing enamel (67.1%) and the combination of discolouration and diffuse opacities (83.1%); their decisions were in relation to the type (P < 0.001), size (P = 0.001) and colour (P < 0.001) of the enamel defects. Dental professionals who were older, self-employed, graduated from institutions overseas, or had postgraduate qualifications, tended to consider aesthetic treatment for the teeth that exhibited the milder forms of enamel defects (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: Dentists frequently perceive that DDE constitutes a 'great need' for dental treatment. Dentists' perceptions of the need to treat DDE is influenced by type, size and colour of DDE and associated with dentist-related factors, principally the age of the dentist.