Patient satisfaction, oral health-related quality of life, and temperament profiles following minimally invasive dental aesthetic procedures.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate patient satisfaction, oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), and temperament profiles following dental aesthetic procedures.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

This cross-sectional descriptive study included 130 patients (92 female, 38 male; mean age 26.3 ± 10.5 years) who had undergone at least one dental aesthetic procedure (tooth whitening, diastema closure, fractured tooth restoration, and reshaping of dysmorphic teeth) within the previous 2-4 weeks. Demographic characteristics and aesthetic perceptions were assessed using a researcher-developed questionnaire and VAS Scale. OHRQoL was evaluated with the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), and temperament traits were assessed using the TEMPS-A scale. Statistical analyses were performed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov, McNemar, McNemar-Bowker, Wilcoxon, Fisher-Freeman-Halton Exact, Independent Samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U tests (p < 0.05).

RESULTS

Significant improvements were observed in general appearance, smile, self-confidence, mood, and social and professional interactions following treatments (all p < 0.001). Satisfaction with tooth color, alignment, shape, and overall smile increased significantly (p < 0.001). Dominant temperament profiles were uncommon; however, patients receiving dysmorphic tooth reshaping showed a higher prevalence of anxious temperament (p < 0.001). Social media behaviors improved, including reduced smile-hiding and filter use (p < 0.001). Female participants exhibited greater improvements in aesthetic satisfaction than males, whereas post-treatment OHRQoL scores and temperament distributions were comparable between genders.

CONCLUSIONS

Minimally invasive dental aesthetic procedures enhance patient satisfaction, aesthetic perception, and OHRQoL. Temperament traits and gender may influence individual psychosocial responses and satisfaction levels following such treatments.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Understanding the psychosocial benefits of minimally invasive dental aesthetic procedures and the influence of temperament and gender differences may improve expectation management, communication, and individualized patient satisfaction.