Satisfaction with dental care among elderly Finnish men

To study satisfaction with dental care among elderly Finnish men and to estimate the role of different factors affecting it, a questionnaire was sent to a systematic sample of 2043 elderly Finnish men (mean age 73 years). Acceptably filled-out questionnaires were returned by 1561, a participation rate of 76.4%. The questionnaire included 44 questions concerning dental and denture services and a modified 14-item Dental Satisfaction Questionnaire. The subjects were asked to express how strongly they agreed or disagreed with each of the 14 statements. These were later transformed and recoded to indicate level of satisfaction from +2 (very satisfied) to -2 (very dissatisfied). Overall satisfaction was estimated by summing up all the 14 scores. Dentate subjects were significantly (P<0.01) more satisfied than the edentulous. Subjects were least satisfied with dental care fees and most satisfied with accessibility and availability of services. Dentate subjects viewed almost all 14 items significantly more favorably than did the edentulous. Economics was seen to have a strong influence on dissatisfaction with dental care fees, which was related to income level. Maintaining the remaining dentition and supporting the dentition with fixed or removable dentures seem to be the means to increase satisfaction among the dentate. The benefits of belonging to a clinic's recall system should be explained thoroughly to the elderly.