Abstract
This paper examines the way patient satisfaction is perceived in the dental literature. The majority of studies carried out since the early 1980s concentrate on patient perceptions of various service quality attributes and the role that sociodemographic variables play in determining satisfaction. Recent work concerning attribution theory suggests that two concepts, duty and culpability, may be central to explaining this process.
Similar content being viewed by others
Log in or create a free account to read this content
Gain free access to this article, as well as selected content from this journal and more on nature.com
or
References
Mason D . General dental practice — challenges and opportunities: a personal view. Br Dent J 1995; 179: 350–354.
O'Shea R, Corah N, Ayer W . Why patients change dentists: practitioners' views. J Am Dent Assoc 1986; 112: 851–854.
Holt V, McHugh K . Factors influencing patient loyalty to dentist and dental practice. Br Dent J 1997; 183: 365–370.
Zimmerman R . The dental appointment and patient behavior. Differences in patient and practitioner preferences, patient satisfaction, and adherence. Med Care 1988; 26: 403–414.
Estabrook B, Zapka J, Lubin H . Consumer perceptions of dental care in the health services program of an educational institution. J Am Dent Assoc 1980; 100: 540–543.
Garfunkel E . The consumer speaks: How patients select and how much they know about dental health care personnel. J Prosthet Dent 1980; 43: 380–384.
Strauss R, Claris S, Lindahl R, Parker P . Patients' attitudes toward quality assurance in dentistry. J Am Coll Dent 1980; 47: 101–109.
van Groenestijn M, Maas-de Waal C, Mileman P . The ideal dentist. Soc Sci Med 1980; 14: 533–540.
Davies A, Ware J . Measuring patient satisfaction with dental care. Soc Sci Med 1981; 15: 751–760.
Murray B, Kaplan A Patient satisfaction in 14 private dental practices. IDAR Abstract No. 892. J Dent Res 1981; 60: 532.
Murtomaa H, Masalin K . Public image of dentists and dental visits in Finland. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1982; 10: 133–136.
Alvesalo I, Uusi-Heikkilä Y . Use of services, care-seeking behavior and satisfaction among university dental clinic patients in Finland. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1984; 12: 297–302.
Corah N, O'Shea R . Development of a patient measure of satisfaction with the dentist: The dental visit satisfaction scale. J Behav Med 1984; 7: 367–373.
Andrus D, Buchheister J . Major factors affecting dental consumer satisfaction. Health Market Q 1985; 3: 57–68.
Barnes N . Open wide: an examination of how patients select and evaluate their dentist. Health Market Q 1985; 3: 49–56.
Chapko M, Bergner M, Green K, Beach B, Milgrom P, Skalabrin N . Development and validation of a measure of dental patient satisfaction. Med Care 1985; 23: 39–49.
Rankin J, Harris M . Patients' preferences for dentists behaviors. J Am Dent Assoc 1985; 110: 323–327.
Barnes N, Mowatt D . An examination of patient attitudes and their implications for dental service marketing. J Health Care Market 1986; 6: 60–63.
Rao C, Rosenberg L . Consumer behavior analysis for improved dental services marketing. Health Market Q 1986; 3: 83–96.
Stege P, Handelman S, Baric J, Espeland M . Satisfaction of the older patient with dental care. Gerodontics 1986; 2: 171–174.
Kress G, Silversin J . The role of dental practice characteristics in patient satisfaction. Gen Dent 1987; 35: 454–457.
Kress G . Improving patient satisfaction. Int Dent J 1987; 37: 117–122.
Corah N, O'Shea R, Bissell G, Thines T, Mendola P . The dentist-patient relationship: Perceived dentist behaviors that reduce patient anxiety and increase satisfaction. J Am Dent Assoc 1988; 116: 73–76.
Crane F, Lynch J . Consumer selection of physicians and dentists: An examination of choice criteria and cue usage. J Health Care Market 1988; 8: 16–19.
Kressel N, Haycock R . Consumer selection and evaluation of dentists. Health Market Q 1988; 5: 15–31.
Handelman S, Fan-Hsu J, Proskin H . Patient satisfaction in four types of dental practice. J Am Dent Assoc 1990; 121: 624–630.
Hill C, Garner S, Hanna M . What dental professionals should know about dental consumers. Health Market Q 1990; 8: 45–57.
Johnson J, Scheetz J, Shugars D, Damiano P, Schweitzer S . Development and validation of a consumer quality assessment instrument for dentistry. J Dent Educ 1990; 54: 644–652.
Williams S, Calnan M . Convergence and divergence: Assessing criteria of consumer satisfaction across general practice, dental and hospital care settings. Soc Sci Med 1991; 33: 707–716.
Arnbjerg D, Söderfeldt B, Palmqvist S . Factors determining satisfaction with dental care. Community Dent Health 1992; 9: 295–300.
Badner V, Bazdekis T, Richards C . Patient satisfaction with dental care in a municipal hospital. Spec Care Dent 1992; 12: 9–14.
Lahti S, Tuutti H, Hausen H, Kääriäinen R . Dentist and patient opinions about the ideal dentist and patient — developing a compact questionnaire. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1992; 20: 229–234.
Stouthard M, Hartman C, Hoogstraten J . Development of a Dutch version of the dental visit satisfaction scale. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1992; 20: 351–353.
Wunder G . Things your most satisfied patients won't tell you. J Am Dent Assoc 1992; 123: 129–132.
Chakraborty G, Gaeth G, Cunningham M . Understanding consumers' preferences for dental service. J Health Care Market 1993; 13: 48–58.
Gopalakrishna P, Mummalaneni V . Influencing satisfaction for dental services. J Health Care Market 1993; 13: 16–22.
Gerbert B, Bleecker T, Saub E . Dentists and the patients who love them: professional and patient views of dentistry. J Am Dent Assoc 1994; 125: 265–272.
Clow K, Fischer A, O'Bryan D . Patient expectations of dental services. J Health Care Market 1995; 15: 23–31.
Golletz, Milgrom P, Manci L . Dental care satisfaction: The reliability and validity of the DSQ in a low-income population. J Public Health Dentist 1995; 55: 210–217.
Lahti S, Tuuti H, Hausen H, Kääriäinen R . Comparison of ideal and actual behavior of patients and dentists during dental treatment. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1995; 23: 374–378.
Lewis J, Campain A, Wright F . Adult dental services in Melbourne: Accessibilty and client satisfaction. Public Health and Epidemiology Research Unit, School of Dental Science, University of Melbourne, 1995.
Burke L, Croucher R . Criteria of good dental practice generated by general dental practitioners and patients. Int Dent J 1996; 46: 3–9.
Goedhart H, Eijkman M, ter Horst G . Quality of dental care: the view of regular attenders. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1996; 24: 28–31.
Handelman S, Jensen O, Jensen P, Black P . Patient satisfaction in a regular and after-hours dental clinic. Spec Care Dent 1996; 16: 194–198.
Janda S, Wang Z, Rao C . Matching dental offerings with expectations. J Health Care Market 1996; 16: 38–44.
Lahti S, Hausen H, Kääriäinen R . Patients'expectations of an ideal dentist and their views concerning the dentist they visited: Do the views conform to the expectations and what determines how well they conform?. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1996; 24: 240–244.
Lahti S, Verkasalo M, Hausen H, Tuutti H . Ideal role behaviors seen by dentists and patients themselves and by their role partners: Do they differ?. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1996; 24: 245–248.
Unell L, Söderfeldt B, Halling A, Paulander J, Birkhed D . Equality in satisfaction, perceived need, and utilization of dental care in a 50-year old Swedish population. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1996; 24: 191–195.
Parasuraman A, Berry L . SERVQUAL: a multiple item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. J Retailing 1988; 1: 12–40.
Zeithaml V, Bitner M . Services marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996.
Abrams R, Ayers C, Vogt Petterson M . Quality assessment of dental restorations: a comparison by dentists and patients. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1986; 14: 317–319.
Mellor A, Milgrom P . Dentists' attitudes toward frustrating patient visits: relationship to satisfaction and malpractice complaints. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1995; 23: 15–19.
Eijkman M, Visser A . Patientenvoorlichting en tandarts (Patient Education and Dentist). Utrecht: Bohn, Scheltema & Holkema, 1987.
Croucher R . The performance gap. Patients' views about dental care and the prevention of periodontal disease. London: Health Education Authority, 1991, Research Report No. 23.
Curbow B . Health care and the poor: psychological implications of restrictive policies. Health Psychol 1986; 5: 375–391.
Liddell A, Locker D . Dental visit satisfaction in a group of adults aged 50 years and over. J Behav Med 1992; 15: 415–427.
Locker D, Liddell A . Correlates of dental anxiety among older adults. J Dent Res 1991; 70: 198–203.
Locker D, Shapiro D, Liddell A . Negative dental experiences and their relationship to dental anxiety. Community Dent Health 1996; 13: 86–92.
Williams B, Healy D . The meaning of patient satisfaction: An explanation of high reported levels. Soc Sci Med In press.
Rice A, Liddell. Determinants of positive and negative attitudes toward dentistry. J Can Dent Assoc 1998; 64: 213–218.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Refereed Paper
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Newsome, P., Wright, G. A review of patient satisfaction: 2. Dental patient satisfaction: an appraisal of recent literature. Br Dent J 186, 166–170 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4800053
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4800053
This article is cited by
-
Minimum intervention oral healthcare for people with dental phobia: a patient management pathway
British Dental Journal (2020)


