Factors influencing patient satisfaction with complete dentures

Lee, Suk Won; Chung, Moon Kyu

Abstract

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: In spite of the progress in techniques and materials in complete denture prosthodontics, patients still complain of discomfort after the insertion of complete dentures. For the last several decades many prosthodontists tried to find factors influencing patient complete denture satisfaction, however the reported results became a controversy. PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to verify the factors influencing patient satisfaction with complete dentures using multiple regression analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 33 patients who visited the department of prosthodontics, dental hospital of Yonsei University, 4 to 6 weeks after the complete denture delivery, were asked to complete the questionnaires on complete denture satisfaction, social variables and psychological variables. The Prosthodontists who treated the patients with complete dentures were also asked to complete the questionnaires on evaluation of patients' oral condition and technical quality of dentures. The factors influencing patients' satisfaction with their complete dentures were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Among the patients' sociodemographic variables, the variables of relationship with children, economic status, housing condition, other people's opinions of dentures and gender were the influential factors on patients' satisfaction with complete dentures. Patients showing the symptoms of depression, one of the psychological variables, were dissatisfied with their complete dentures. In spite of the good oral condition, patients were dissatisfied with complete dentures, whereas the technical quality of dentures did not influence patients' complete denture satisfaction. CONCLUSION: According to the results above, patients' sociodemographic and psychological variables rather than clinical variables including oral condition and technical quality of dentures were the influential factors on complete denture satisfaction. The results of this study may not only enable prosthodontists to predict the success and failure of complete denture treatment, but also help both prosthodontists and patients be informed of the essentials of increasing satisfaction with complete dentures.