The design of this project involves a longitudinal follow-up of a cohort of dentists who were sampled in 1997–98. Dentists will be surveyed using a mailed self-complete questionnaire to assess treatment choice factors and record basic descriptive data on the dentist and practice. The aims of the project are to describe the factors influencing choice of treatment in general dental practice, and compare treatment choice factors recorded in 1997–98 to assess changes over time.