Satisfaction with orthodontic treatment.

Abstract

Abstract Objectives: To examine the satisfaction of patients with their orthodontic treatment at the Department of Orthodontics at the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA) in the Netherlands. Materials and Methods: To analyze differences in satisfaction through time, the results of patients treated at ACTA in 2008 and 2009 were compared with the results of patients treated at ACTA in 2000. A validated questionnaire about patient satisfaction was used. The total scale was divided into six subscales. A questionnaire was sent to all patients younger than 30years who finished orthodontic treatment in 2008 and 2009 at ACTA. Results: The internal consistency of the total scale and the six subscales of the questionnaire was satisfactory. Respondents scored highest on items about satisfaction with the doctor-patient relationship (mean, 4.24; SD, 0.63) and lowest on items regarding their satisfaction with psychosocial improvement (mean, 2.88; SD, 0.87). In contrast to the sample from 2000, gender was no significant predictor of patient satisfaction. The results showed significantly lower values on overall satisfaction and on all subscales, with only one exception. On the subscale psychosocial improvement, females in the present study had similar scores to females in 2000. Conclusions: The doctor-patient relationship remains the most important factor contributing to patient satisfaction. However, the results show that, overall, patients are less satisfied with their orthodontic treatment than patients were a decade ago and that gender differences no longer predict patient satisfaction.