Factors Affecting Female Patient Satisfaction with Their Dental Aesthetics and Their Treatment Choice to Achieve the Most Desired Dental Appearance

Abstract

Aim: Since aesthetics has become an important issue in dental treatment, it seems important to have a good communication between a patient and the dentist to understand the patient's concept regarding the dental aesthetics and to achieve the most desired dental treatment. So, the aim of this study to investigate the significant predictors influencing a patient's decision to choose prosthetic, orthodontic, restorative or bleaching type of therapy. Methods: A total of 165 female patients who attended dental clinics at Taibah University (2015-2016) participated in this cross sectional study (aged 18 years old and over). The study included a pre-structured questionnaire based on the degree of satisfaction with general dental appearance (yes or no questions) and type of treatment they desire to undergo. Collected data were analyzed using chi square test at a 95% level of significance. Results: This study recruited 165 female of whom 165 (100%) responded. 42.4% were not satisfied with dental appearance while 55.8% were not satisfied with tooth color. Percentage of people who prefer seeking orthodontic treatment was 22% and for dental bleaching was 41%. People who prefer undergoing prosthodontic treatment represents 19% of the sample and 18% for people who prefer tooth color fillings. Conclusion: Dental female patients complained from their teeth color and believe that tooth whitening is the main concern for improvement of their aesthetic. Understanding patients' opinions in choosing type of dental treatment will help the dentists in treatment planning.