Assessment of quality and the utilization of the dental prosthesis and their impact on patient satisfaction

Background and Aim: Assessing patient satisfaction with dental prosthesis is usually difficult if the prosthesis does not fulfill the treatment need of the patient, and in most cases, the professionals' assessment of the prosthesis differs from the patients' perception of quality and treatment outcome. Patient satisfaction is important for the proper utilization of the prosthesis which helps improve the patients' overall quality of life and that remains the professionals' ultimate goal. The aim of this study was to assess the quality and utilization of dental prostheses and their impact on patient satisfaction. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1312 participants aged 18 years and above using a house-to-house approach among the rural population of Mangalore taluk. The study involved the completion of a predesigned and structured pro forma based on the WHO oral health assessment form. Evaluation of the prosthesis, and its quality was done by the professional. Fisher's exact test and odds ratio were conducted to find the significance of variables. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: It was found that the retention and chewing efficiency of the complete denture had a positive comparison that was statistically significant. The retention of the partial denture wearers had a positive correlation between the patient perception and the professional assessment. In fixed partial dentures candidates, there was a statistically significant comparison between their perception and professionals' assessment with regard to hygiene and periodontal health. Conclusion: Most of the completely edentulous patients residing in the rural population of Mangalore taluk are quite satisfied with their prosthesis, whereas the professional assessment revealed that the older denture lacked retention, occlusion, and hygiene.