Consumer satisfaction.

Patient satisfaction with dental care is compared across six United States groups: Whites in Baltimore and San Antonio, African-Americans in Baltimore, Hispanics in San Antonio, and Native Americans in the Southwest and the Dakotas. First, differences in patient satisfaction across ethnic groups and between two age groups (65-74 years old and 35-44 years old) are considered. Generally, people from all age and ethnic groups were satisfied with the last dental visit. Second, patient satisfaction is conceptualized as an oral health outcome influenced by characteristics of the dental service utilizer: predisposing sociodemographic characteristics, predisposing oral beliefs, enabling characteristics, oral needs, oral health behaviors, and oral health status. Multivariate analyses by age and ethnic group are used to identify characteristics that influence patient satisfaction. Sociodemographic characteristics were important among the elderly. Strong oral health beliefs influenced patient satisfaction among younger adults. Enabling characteristics were important predictors among the Native American groups. This model explained 15%-30% of the variability in patient satisfaction among the study age and ethnic groups.