Satisfaction with Dental Care and Its Role in Dental Health-related Behaviour Among Lithuanian University Employees

Purpose: To assess factors related to satisfaction with dental care and its role in dental health-related behaviour among Lithuanian university employees. Materials and Methods: Our cross-sectional survey collected data on respondents' satisfaction with dental care using 24 statements. The self-administered questionnaire also inquired about dental attendance, dental health-related behaviour and attitudes, self-assessed dental status and background details. All 35- to 44-year-old employees (n = 862) of four universities in Lithuania were invited to participate; 64% (n = 553) responded, 78% of them were women. Statements on satisfaction with technical, personal and organisational dimensions of the dental surgery were assessed using a five-point scale, ranging from entirely agree to entirely disagree, with higher scores indicating stronger agreement. Overall satisfaction scores were summed and subjects divided into tertiles to evaluate dental health-related behaviour. For the logistic regression model, subjects were divided into two groups of satisfaction level (below and above the mean of the sum score). Results: Subjects were highly satisfied with dental care, with the mean sum score being 99.5 (SD = 12.62, range 59-120). Stronger satisfaction was reported by those visiting private practices (p 0.001) and the same dentist longer (p = 0.006) and by those who entirely agreed with the statements on dental health-related attitudes (p ≤ 0.001). The logistic regression model showed that higher satisfaction with dental care level was more likely for those who indicated check-up-based regular dental attendance (OR = 1.7) and brushing their teeth at least twice daily (OR = 1.6). Conclusions: Satisfaction with dental care is positively related to individuals' dental health-related attitudes and behaviour among highly-educated subjects in particular. Keywords: dental health attitudes, dental healthcare evaluation, dental health practices, dental patient preference