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Factors influencing patient loyalty to dentist and dental practice
Objective:
To establish the factors considered by adult regular dental attenders to be the most important in choosing to stay with a particular dentist or practice.
Design:
An anonymous questionnaire to be completed by patients.
Setting:
General dental practices in England and Wales with a significant proportion of patients seen under some form of private contract.
Subjects And Methods:
13 practices in England and Wales were selected to represent a regional cross-section of the country. Up to 100 successive patients visiting each practice during the summer of 1995 were invited to complete the questionnaire. 1003 questionnaires were returned.
Results:
Notwithstanding regional, gender and socio-economic status related differences the most important factors were 'care and attention' rated as very important by 90% of respondents, 'pain control, 'dentist puts you at ease ', 'safety conscious' all rated as very important by 79-82% of respondents, and 'explanation of treatments' rated as very important by 73% of respondents. The importance attached to the dentist being 'safety conscious' suggests a change in emphasis from earlier studies.
Conclusions:
The factors rated most important reflect the dentist's behaviour and personal skills in devoting time and attention to the patient.