Patient satisfaction and dentist evaluation of dentures in South Africa

Denture satisfaction of 100 indigent South Africans, with a mean age of 70.36 years was assessed. Patient satisfaction was compared with measures of occlusion and stability as determined by a dentist. The mean age of the upper and lower dentures was 20 and 21 years respectively. The quality and function of most of the dentures were regarded by the dentists as poor. Of the 59 per cent upper and 49 per cent lower dentures regarded as satisfactory by the elderly, only 17.5 per cent and 5 per cent respectively were evaluated as having good stability. Sixty-nine per cent of those with complete upper and lower dentures said they could eat with their dentures, while only 11 per cent of this group were rated by the dentist as having good occlusion. There existed a big discrepancy between determinants of patient satisfaction and the dentist's evaluation of good stability and occlusion, indicating that patient satisfaction encompasses qualities other than the measures used by the dentist. Once the threshold of satisfaction was achieved, ill-fitting and looseness of dentures took on lesser importance.