Attitudes regarding a warranty and the expected longevity of dental treatment amongst New Zealand dentists, dental students, and patients: a mixed methods survey.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate and compare estimates of the longevity of dental treatment, expectations for free remedial treatment, and attitudes about formal dental warranties among dentists, students, and patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a mixed-method cross-sectional questionnaire survey with convenience sampling from dentists, dental students, and patients in New Zealand. A questionnaire was distributed to New Zealand dentists (n = 28) and final-year dental students (n = 27). A separate questionnaire was provided to patients in a university dental clinic (n = 43). Mann-Whitney U, Chi-square and Pearson Correlation, and Binary logistic regression tests were used to test for differences between groups and correlations amongst variables. Qualitative data were analysed thematically. RESULTS: Dentists believed that their posterior composite resin restorations would last longer (p = 0.014), would remediate failed crowns for longer (p = 0.002) and would provide longer crown warranties (p = 0.003) compared to students. Patients had higher expectations for restoration longevity and free remediation for failed treatment. Students were generally more willing to provide warranties. Crowns were perceived to be the most warrantable, while endodontic treatment was the least warrantable. Recall attendance, mechanical failure, and adequate oral hygiene were commonly proposed as warranty conditions for restorations and crowns. There was little consensus about complete dentures and endodontic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: There are significant disparities between the expectations of patients and clinicians regarding treatment longevity and free remediation times. Clinicians, in general, are willing to provide free remediation within a specified time frame, except for endodontic treatment, but are hesitant to provide formal dental warranties.

Complete denture success for patients and dentists.

The huge prevalence of tooth decay and the gradual ageing of populations in the developed world have combined to produce a steady increase in the need for complete denture treatment. To achieve successful treatment, it is vital to consider a number of issues throughout the denture process. Before treatment even begins, the patient's motivation for denture treatment and emotional attitude towards dentures must be evaluated. Patients will thereby gain realistic expectations of what can and cannot be achieved, and dentists will understand what the patient really wants. Afterwards, the dentist must work with the patient to help achieve success in difficult areas such as neuromuscular control, mastication and speech. By learning to handle patient complaints positively, dentists can educate patients to solve their own problems in future. Finally, patients must be informed that continued success depends on regular denture maintenance at home combined with periodic consultation with the dentist.