Assessment of Satisfaction Levels of Patients Availing Dental Services at a Private Dental Institution in Bareilly: A Cross-sectional Survey

Abstract

Background: Patient satisfaction is an important indicator of the quality of healthcare services and reflects patients’ perceptions regarding treatment, communication, staff behavior, infection control, and overall dental care. Assessing patient satisfaction helps identify areas requiring improvement and enhances the quality of patient-centered dental services.

Materials & Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based observational study was conducted among 111 patients attending the Department of Public Health Dentistry, Institute of Dental Sciences, Bareilly. A structured Dental Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire consisting of 14 items was used to assess various domains of patient satisfaction using a five-point Likert scale. Data were collected after obtaining informed consent and analyzed using SPSS version 29.0. Descriptive statistics along with Student’s t-test and ANCOVA were applied, and a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: The majority of participants expressed high levels of satisfaction with treatment explanation, dentist competence, respectful behavior, staff interaction, infection control measures, treatment quality, and overall dental services. Comparatively lower satisfaction was observed regarding treatment duration and waiting time. The findings indicate that the institution provides quality patient-centered dental care while highlighting the need for further improvements in appointment scheduling and patient flow management.

Key words: Patient satisfaction, Dental services, Public Health Dentistry, Cross-sectional survey, Quality of care, Bareilly