Patient Satisfaction in a Restorative Functions Dental Hygiene Clinic

Abstract

In 2003, the Minnesota Dental Practice Act was modified to allow dental hygienists and assistants to place amalgam, composite, glass ionomer, and stainless steel crowns. A restorative functions course was added to the curriculum of a dental hygiene program at a state university in Minnesota to teach these skills. Student requirements for the course included clinical experiences on a minimum of twelve patients, as outlined by the Minnesota Board of Dentistry. The objectives of this study were to describe the characteristics and satisfaction levels of patients receiving care in the restorative functions dental hygiene clinic. An online survey was offered to eighty-two adult patients receiving restorative treatment in the clinic, with sixty-four patients agreeing to participate for a response rate of 78 percent. The average patient was thirty-one to forty years old, Caucasian, worked full-time, did not have dental insurance, had a family income of between $20,000 and $40,000, and chose this clinic due to low cost. Ninety-eight percent of responding patients were satisfied or very satisfied with their overall clinic experience, and 98 percent also thought the quality of care at this clinic was the same, better, or much better than previous dental care they had received. Most patients would return to this clinic for future restorative work (97 percent), in addition to recommending this clinic to others seeking restorative work (98 percent). Wilcoxen signed rank tests revealed the patients were significantly more satisfied (p<.001) with the fees of this clinic, as well as the communication, caring, organization, and preparedness of the dental hygiene student as compared to their last restorative visit to a private dentist. Group differences were examined using the non-parametric test, Mann-Whitney, which is similar to the two-sample t-test for parametric data. No significant group differences in the overall satisfaction with this clinic were found according to income level, dental insurance, or ability to pay for an unexpected dental bill. Findings in this study suggest the majority of patients were satisfied with the overall experience of restorations placed by a dental hygienist. Further research is indicated to determine if these results are typical of other dental hygiene restorative functions clinics in the United States.

An Analysis of Patient Perceptions and Expectations to Dental Implants: Is There a Significant Effect on Long-Term Satisfaction Levels?

“…This concept of enhancing such a relationship has been amplified in the study by Chaffin et al They found that interpersonal experience had a strong association with a patient's assessment of their personal care and consequently their satisfaction levels [ 21 ]. In a similar study on a small cohort of 64 subjects, Cooper and Monson advocated 6- and 12-month follow-ups to confirm that satisfaction levels could be maintained [ 22 ].…”

The experiences of dental hygienists providing restorative patient care

“…Considerations for designing a restorative curriculum include having sufficient clinical experiences, quality standards for treatment protocols, evaluation criteria, and specific requirements related to restorative surfaces and materials. 23 Clinical experiences involved students providing direct patient care, students who performed assistant duties using four-handed dentistry and alternated with student operators; and an optimal dentist-to-student ratio of 1 to 4. 23 In many states, a critical part of licensure to practice requires the successful completion of a restorative board examination.…”

“…23 Clinical experiences involved students providing direct patient care, students who performed assistant duties using four-handed dentistry and alternated with student operators; and an optimal dentist-to-student ratio of 1 to 4. 23 In many states, a critical part of licensure to practice requires the successful completion of a restorative board examination.…”

Barriers of restorative care among dental patients in Jeddah: A cross-sectional analytical survey

“…in Malaysia, cost was rated as one of the lower barriers in seeking dental care. [ 17 ] In the study by Cooper and Monson,[ 18 ] no significant group values were found among the patients to pay unexpected bills. High cost is a factor in delaying dental treatment as per Bhat et al .…”

“…In the study by Cooper and Monson,[ 18 ] the patients were very satisfied with the restorative care provided in the dental clinic and were very positive in referring patients to the clinic for any restorative treatments. In the present study, majority of the respondents are satisfied with restorative treatment.…”