Study Shows Elements of Denture Satisfaction
The Journal of the American Dental Association has published a new study that shows what makes people satisfied with their dentures.
An In-Depth Analysis of Denture Performance
In order to determine what leads to denture satisfaction, researchers looked at clinical measures of dentures as well as satisfaction ratings by denture users. The dentures were evaluated for seven different clinical criteria by three different investigators who had been trained in the proper technique for rating dentures. Overall, denture wearers rated their satisfaction as 3.6 out of 5, somewhere between “reasonably” satisfied and “very” satisfied.
Researchers then analyzed the different factors to determine which had the biggest impact on denture satisfaction.
Lower Denture Stability Mattered Most
The most significant factors related to patient satisfaction were lower (mandibular) denture stability and retention.
There were many clinical factors that didn’t seem to have much impact on denture satisfaction, including upper lip support, lower lip line, and upper (maxillary) denture stability and retention. This may be because in general people were more satisfied with their maxillary denture, so it didn’t make a large difference in their overall satisfaction ratings.
In the paper, the author stated, “the results showed a statistically significant relationship between denture quality and denture satisfaction.”
Your Dentist Matters, Too
People’s satisfaction seemed to derive from more factors than just the technical state of their dentures. The dentist-patient relationship was another important key to overall satisfaction with dentures. According to the study’s authors, “study findings indicate that a positive clinician-patient relationship could be more important in attaining patient satisfaction than is providing the patient with dentures that meet the technical prosthodontics requirements.”
Among the many things that dentists do to improve satisfaction are setting realistic expectations. People who know what they can expect from their dentures are more likely to be happy when those expectations are met.
If you are looking for a quality denture dentist in Columbia, SC, please call (803) 781-9090 for an appointment at Smile Columbia Dentistry today.