Evaluating a Mixed Method Study Design regarding Dentists’ Stated and Revealed Preferences of Sustainability in Dentistry

The healthcare sector, especially dentistry, contributes significantly to the environmental crisis. The behaviors and attitudes of dentists regarding sustainability practices may differ markedly; we applied the Stated and Revealed Preferences framework to compare these. Our aim was to assess a mixed method innovation, encompassing material use, digital technologies, and preventive measures in dentistry. We recruited 16 dentists based on two quotas: sex and the funding source of the clinic. Dentists’ behaviors were recorded through the structured observation of four patient sessions, while their attitudes were examined via structured interviews exploring barriers to more sustainable practices. Observation results were visualized for each dentist, depicting sustainable and unsustainable choices per session. Barriers were visualized in network graphs employing the Qualitative Network Approach. Observational data helped pinpoint (un)sustainable practices across cases and highlighted individuals whose practices diverged from the group. Qualitative networks helped identify frequent and rare associations between barriers, their types, directionality, along with themes in interview narratives. Triangulating the two data sources provided insight into case idiosyncrasies, prevalent rationales in decision-making, and apparent contradictions between intra-case behavior and attitudes. These, in turn, aided in refining data collection instruments and guiding further analyses. This novel method advances research by examining sustainable behavior on the level of individual choices, mapping the relationships between barriers, and triangulating data sources bidirectionally, thus offering the potential to inform targeted interventions that enhance sustainable practices in dentistry.