Dentist-Patient Communication and Denture Quality Associated with Complete Denture Satisfaction Among Taiwanese Elderly Wearers.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to explore individual (ie, sociodemographic characteristics, patient personality) and clinical factors (ie, dentist-patient communication, denture quality) associated with complete denture satisfaction among the Taiwanese elderly population.


METHODS
A multistage sampling and cross-sectional design was used to collect data. A total of 387 fully edentulous citizens, aged 65 years and older and who had received new sets of complete dentures, were selected. The participants completed clinical dental examinations and questionnaires by personal interview to collect information on denture satisfaction and associated variables. The relationship among three groups of these participants (satisfied, neutral, and dissatisfied) and potential factors were simultaneously examined using polytomous logistic regression analysis.


RESULTS
Overall, 36.7% of the participants were dissatisfied with their dentures. Living status (crude odds ratio [COR] = 2.04), personality (COR = 4.86), dentist-patient communication (COR = 7.46), and denture quality (COR = 5.02) were associated with complete denture satisfaction. The multivariate regression model showed that dentist-patient communication (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 6.41) and denture quality (AOR = 4.40) were significant complete denture satisfaction factors that diluted the effect of living status and personality.


CONCLUSIONS
Inadequate dentistpatient communication and low denture quality were associated with the dissatisfaction of patients with dentures. To increase complete denture satisfaction, the importance of training programs aimed at enhancing dentist-patient communication and denture quality cannot be overemphasized.
Jen-Hao
JH
Chen
Hsiao-Ling
HL
Huang
Ying-Chun
YC
Lin
Tsau-Mau
TM
Chou
John
J
Ebinger
Huey-Er
HE
Lee
D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D003781:Denture Retention; D003824:Denture, Complete / Q000523:psychology* / Q000592:standards; D004522:Educational Status; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D008297:Male; D009066:Mouth, Edentulous / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010551:Personality; D012923:Social Class; D013624:Taiwan