[The influence of socio-demographic and psychological variables on the level of satisfaction of geriatric patients from dental care].
The increasing geriatric population poses unique treatment challenges for the dental practice. Satisfaction from dental treatment is considered to be an important issue that influences the attitude and cooperation of the geriatric patient. It is associated with the quality of treatment and with different variables, such as physical, emotional, social and financial. The objectives of the present study were to perform a preliminary characterization of a group of geriatric patients and to identify possible factors that might be associated with their level of satisfaction from dental treatment.


METHODS
Fifty-one geriatric patients (20 males and 31 females) participated in the study. They were given a questionnaire which included 41 items regarding: socio-demographic variables, social activity, self image, level of apprehension, locus of control and level of satisfaction from dental care.


RESULTS
Twenty-two patients reported a high level of satisfaction from dental treatment and twenty-nine reported a low level of satisfaction. No significant association was found between the degree of satisfaction from dental treatment and the examined variables of social activity, self-image and level of apprehension. Good doctor-patient relationships--"the art of care", is considered to have an important impact on the level of satisfaction, especially among the geriatric patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Therefore, it is suggested that these relationships might determine the level of satisfaction of the geriatric patient from dental treatment.
Vered
Y
Y
Dept. of Community Dentistry, Hebrew University, Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, Jerusalem.
Zadik
D
D
Mersel
A
A
D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D016321:Dental Care for Aged; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012649:Self Concept; D012923:Social Class; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires