How Do Firms Respond to Changes in Scope of Practice Regulations? Evidence from Dental Practices

35 Pages Posted: 26 Apr 2022

See all articles by Kamyar Nasseh

Kamyar Nasseh

American Dental Association

John R. Bowblis

Miami University of Ohio - Department of Economics

Coady Wing

Indiana University

Abstract

State regulations that restrict the tasks that workers with specific credentials are allowed to perform may affect a firm’s input choices, output, productivity, and what part of the market the firm serves. Using dental practice survey data from 1989 to 2014 and a stacked difference-in- differences design, this paper examines the effects of state level scope of practice regulations on the behavior and structure of dental practices. Results suggest that scope of practice deregulation is associated with higher staffing levels, fewer dentist visits per week, lower patient wait times, lower dentist net income and an increased likelihood of treating lower revenue generating publicly insured patients. There is weak evidence that scope of practice deregulation changes practice size or alters a dental firm’s capital inputs.

Keywords: Occupational licensing, Scope of practice, Dental care, Labor market regulation, Dental workforce, Work tasks, Quasi-experimental research methods

Suggested Citation

Nasseh, Kamyar and Bowblis, John R. and Wing, Coady, How Do Firms Respond to Changes in Scope of Practice Regulations? Evidence from Dental Practices. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4093622 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4093622

Kamyar Nasseh (Contact Author)

American Dental Association ( email )

211 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
United States

John R. Bowblis

Miami University of Ohio - Department of Economics ( email )

800 E. High St.
Farmer School of Business, 2054
Oxford, OH 45056
United States

Coady Wing

Indiana University ( email )

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