2019 Volume 66 Issue 3 Pages 43-50
Introduction; Understanding patient behavior is important to ensure good clinical outcomes for patients and efficient use of resources. Few studies have investigated compliance of patients attending a general dental clinic with treatment requiring multiple visits. In Japan, general dental practitioners are the main providers of dental treatment. The objective of this study was to analyze information from dental patients first visit, with their subsequent attendance. Methods; The study involved 450 adult participants. Associations between data obtained from selfcompleted questionnaires, oral examination and subsequent attendance, were tested by logistic regression analyses. The main outcome examined was whether the patient failed to attend for further treatment (cancellation without notice). Results; The most common reason for subjects’ initial visit was for a dental problem with definite symptoms. Cancellation without notice was significantly higher in younger patients, those without referrals, those with non-responses to medical questions, had severe periodontal disease and two or more decayed teeth. Discussion; Certain patient characteristics are associated with the probability of subsequent failure to complete treatment. Those that present with two or more decayed teeth may be a useful indicator of requiring more intensive motivational intervention to prevent the risk of failing to complete dental treatment.
