Comparative Opinion of Dental Clinicians and Patients Regarding Dental Appearance and the Need for Cosmetic Dental Procedures Publisher



Panahandeh N¹ ; Kangani MF² ; Hosseini Z³ ; Mahounak FS⁴ Show Affiliations
Source: Journal of Iranian Medical Council Published:2025

Abstract

Background: This study compared the opinion of dental clinicians and patients regarding dental appearance and the need for cosmetic dental procedures. This information can serve as a basis for efficient treatment planning. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 dental patients, 5 general dentists, and 5 restorative dentists. A standardized questionnaire with 17 questions was used to collect information regarding the opinion of patients about the appearance of their anterior teeth and the need for cosmetic dental procedures. Tooth shade, overjet, and overbite were also recorded, and three photographs were obtained from their teeth and assessed by dental clinicians. Data were analyzed by the Spearman, independent t, Mann-Whitney, and Bonferroni tests and ANOVA (alpha=0.05). Results: Of 100 male and 100 female patients participating in this study, 73% were satisfied with the appearance of their teeth, which was higher than the satisfaction rate reported by general dentists (65%) and restorative dentists (48%). The difference in opinion was not significant between the patients and general dentists (p=0.325). The satisfaction level of the restorative dentists was significantly lower than the patients (p<0.001) and general dentists (p<0.001). The patients were mostly dissatisfied with the color of their teeth (60%), and 88.5% were interested in cosmetic procedures (mostly bleaching). The opinion of the three groups was not significantly different regarding the need for cosmetic procedures (p=0.414). Conclusion: Restorative dentists had a significantly lower satisfaction with dental appearance of the patients, compared with general dentists and patients themselves. However, the opinion of the three groups was not significantly different regarding the need for cosmetic procedures. Copyright © 2025, Journal of Iranian Medical Council.