Personality factors versus expectations and self-reported symptoms among patients awaiting advanced prosthodontic treatment.
To assess simple questions for identifying patient personality traits among a normal Swedish population and to assess possible relationships between personality and symptoms, attitudes, dental problems, and received dental care, a questionnaire was sent to 489 subjects awaiting prosthodontic treatment (response rate 84.2%). Three personality traits could be identified: "Fearful-depressed" subjects consumed more tranquillisers, were worried and had many symptoms, whilst "Open-minded" were optimistic about treatment, had high expectations and few symptoms. "Control-minded" did not reveal worries and guarded their autonomy. It was concluded that personality indicators were related to clinically relevant factors: salience of teeth, perceptions of problems, dental attendance pattern, expectations and perceptions of symptoms.
Hakestam
U
U
Tandvårdshögskolan, Malmö, Sweden.
Söderfeldt
B
B
Rydén
O
O
Glantz
P O
PO
D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010551:Personality; D011476:Prosthodontics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012647:Self-Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden