Anxiety about and Satisfaction with Dental Service

Method: Discomfort/comfort associated with dental treatment was considered. Personal interview was used to investigate dental anxiety and dental satisfaction after treatment, among a randomized sample of 300 dentate adults treated in the dental service of San Borja Hospital, Chile. Dental anxiety was measured by Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale. For dental satisfaction, we assessed the effects of variables on utilization of dental services (dental attendance measures, expenditure, and items of dental treatment received during the preceding year).

Results: A dental anxiety score of 13 or more was registered by 18.8% of respondents, and was more prevalent among younger people. Dental satisfaction was lower among younger people and those who were dentally anxious. Rather large proportions of the respondents judged dental treatment to be uncomfortable: Between 20 and 30% rated their last dental visit as moderately painful; about 60% reported having had at least one very painful experience, and 5-6% experienced dental treatment in general to be very painful. Reports of pain were associated with the types of treatment received (restorations, extractions, scaling, root canal therapy, and periodontal treatment/surgery) and had the strongest independent effect. Pain was also more likely to be reported by those with previous painful experiences and those who were anxious about dental treatment. They reported less satisfaction with the level of understanding or acceptance found in the last dentist they had seen than with the dentist's level of technical competence and the diagnostic information they received.

Conclusion: Dental satisfaction of patients is an important indicator of the quality of dental care, and dentists should be prepared to adapt their manner of communicating with patients.