Original article

Year : 2023 | Volume : 8 | Issue : 1 | Page : 29 - 42

Patient Gratification and their Expectation from Dental Professionals- A Cross-Sectional Survey

Shruthi R

Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sri Ramachandra Dental College and Hospital, Porur, Chennai - 600 116, Tamil Nadu, India.

Address for Correspondence:

Dr. Shruthi R

Department of Public Health Dentistry, Sri Ramachandra Dental College and Hospital, Porur, Chennai -600 116, Tamil Nadu, India.

E-mail:ruthir2851994@gmail.com

Abstract

Introduction:

Dentist attire has been molded by tradition and fashion over centuries. There have been many changes in thedental field and patient expectations and with increased proportion of female doctors entering the profession has led to changes in dentist dress code. White coats were worn by dentist for professionalism, identification and hygiene, yet white coats may be a source of, rather than a barrier to cross infection. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the patients opinion toward dentist appearance, clinical attire, cross infection control, years of experience, and their expectations from their dentist.

Materials and Methods:

Patients attending a dental hospital for a consultation appointment were asked to complete a close-ended questionnaire comprising 12 questions. A representative sample of patients completed 100 questionnaires over a period of 4 weeks. Their responses were tabulated and analyzed statistically.

Results:

The study found that majority of patient preferred their own gender dentist and they preferred young dentist with 1–5 years of experience. Some patients preferred dentist wearing white coat while some patients were comfortable with whatever the dentist was wearing. The majority of patients preferred dentist wearing name badge and personal protective equipment. The majority of patients also preferred treatment from colleges and hospitals and preferred dentist who has done MDS/specialization. The majority of
patients were more comfortable with dentist who is smiling, welcoming, and being friendly. Some patients preferred their dentist to talk more while some preferred their dentist to talk appropriately and few patients preferred their dentist to talk less. Dentist having long nails and malaligned or fractured teeth bothered some patient while it did not bother some patients and some patients did not notice it.

Conclusion:

A considerable amount of research dealing with the professional image of health-care providers has been produced, but very little of this has been specific to the practice of dentistry. Hence, it is hoped that this study will be informative for dental team and the results should be taken into consideration.

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest

How to cite this article: R, S. (2023). Patient Gratification and their Expectation from Dental Professionals- A Cross-Sectional Survey : Original article. International Journal of Social Rehabilitation, 8(1), 29–42. https://doi.org/10.56501/intjsocrehab.v8i1.791