LAUSR

Background A rapid growth in private dentistry in China has been observed during recent years. Promoting the entrepreneurship of dentists has increasingly received attention in both dentistry and dental education worldwide. However, understanding about the unique features of entrepreneurial behaviors of dentists remains inadequate. Methods This study examines dentist’s entrepreneurial intention (EI), which was represented by his/her intention of leaving the public hospital system to be engaged in the private sector. Through a snowball sampling method, a total of 336 questionnaires from public hospitals in five major cities in Guangdong Province (China) were collected. The association between the dentists’ EI and their individual characteristics were analyzed using a logistic regression model. Results In the sample studied, 35.7% of the respondents reported to have EI. Female dentists are less likely to report EI (OR = 0.365,  p  = 0.001). Dentists in the age group of 36 to 45 years (OR = 14.205,  p  = 0.012) and those aged over 45 years (OR = 8.45,  p  = 0.066) reported respectively a much stronger EI than those in their 20s. Compared with intern dentists, attending dentists (OR = 7.812,  p  = 0.016) and associate/chief dentists (OR = 9.857,  p  = 0.021) were significantly more likely to report EI. Those with master level (OR = 0.221,  p  = 0.021) or doctorate degrees (OR = 0.118,  p  = 0.005) are much less likely to report EI. Meanwhile, those in mid-large hospitals (with 101–200 employees) (OR = 3.554,  p  = 0.036) and small hospitals (with < 50 employees) (OR = 2.398,  p  = 0.044) reported a stronger EI than those in large hospitals. Additionally, dentists’ entrepreneurial behaviors, risk aversion attitudes and their family background all have significant associations. Conclusions Since dentistry is a knowledge-intensive industry, dentists’ entrepreneurial behaviors have their own features. The findings by this study suggest that, accumulation of practical skills in a dental career, as implied by age, professional qualifications and leadership skills, help to promote EI, whereas an academic oriented education degree per se does not. Dentists in mid-large and small hospitals, rather than in top large hospitals in China, have higher EI. Additionally, female dentists may need more social supports to develop a higher EI. These findings have practical implications for the promotion of EI among dentists.