Demographics and practice characteristics of dentists participating and not participating in managed care plans.

This article is the first in a series compiling the results of the 1995 Managed Care Marketplace Information Survey conducted by the ADA Council on Dental Practice. It addresses the demographic and practice characteristics of dentists participating and not participating in managed care plans. Dentists with at least one contract were somewhat more likely to be located in the Pacific or Middle Atlantic regions, be female and have practiced less than 10 years. Dentists who participated in at least one managed care contract worked slightly more hours per week, saw slightly more total patients per week, saw more emergency and walk-in patients and had shorter appointments.