Digital radiography in dentistry: a survey of Indiana dentists

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the number of Indiana dental practices that utilize digital radiography and to identify the reasons for using or not using digital radiography. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 300 licensed dentists in the State of Indiana. Demographic, clinical and digital technology responses were obtained. The data were analysed using SPSS 12.0 (Statistical Package Social Sciences) software; t-tests and Pearson's chi(2) test were performed on several variables with significance levels set at P < 0.05. Results: One hundred and fifty-two dental practices (51%) responded to the survey. Thirty dental practices (19.7%) used digital radiography in their office. Twenty-two (73%) of the dentists using digital radiography were general practitioners. The number of dentists in a practice was a significant factor in predicting the use of digital radiography (t = 2.57, P = 0.011). Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that digital radiography is more commonly used by general dentists in group practices.