Patient satisfaction in a restorative functions dental hygiene clinic.

In 2003, the Minnesota Dental Practice Act was modified to allow dental hygienists and assistants to place amalgam, composite, glass ionomer, and stainless steel crowns. A restorative functions course was added to the curriculum of a dental hygiene program at a state university in Minnesota to teach these skills. Student requirements for the course included clinical experiences on a minimum of twelve patients, as outlined by the Minnesota Board of Dentistry. The objectives of this study were to describe the characteristics and satisfaction levels of patients receiving care in the restorative functions dental hygiene clinic. An online survey was offered to eighty-two adult patients receiving restorative treatment in the clinic, with sixty-four patients agreeing to participate for a response rate of 78 percent. The average patient was thirty-one to forty years old, Caucasian, worked full-time, did not have dental insurance, had a family income of between $20,000 and $40,000, and chose this clinic due to low cost. Ninety-eight percent of responding patients were satisfied or very satisfied with their overall clinic experience, and 98 percent also thought the quality of care at this clinic was the same, better, or much better than previous dental care they had received. Most patients would return to this clinic for future restorative work (97 percent), in addition to recommending this clinic to others seeking restorative work (98 percent). Wilcoxen signed rank tests revealed the patients were significantly more satisfied (p<.001) with the fees of this clinic, as well as the communication, caring, organization, and preparedness of the dental hygiene student as compared to their last restorative visit to a private dentist. Group differences were examined using the non-parametric test, Mann-Whitney, which is similar to the two-sample t-test for parametric data. No significant group differences in the overall satisfaction with this clinic were found according to income level, dental insurance, or ability to pay for an unexpected dental bill. Findings in this study suggest the majority of patients were satisfied with the overall experience of restorations placed by a dental hygienist. Further research is indicated to determine if these results are typical of other dental hygiene restorative functions clinics in the United States.