AGE-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN THE SELECTION AND EVALUATION OF DENTAL CARE

Abstract

Dental care is a multifactorial process that is determined by the individual characteristics of the patient, the professional qualities of the dentist and his team, the accessibility of the dental clinic, the patient's previous experience and awareness of dental treatment. As part of the demographic characteristics of patients, age is an important factor when choosing a dentist. In the scientific literature, the authors study the relationship between the age of patients and the way they search for dental specific information, with the criteria that they consider important when making their choice of a dentist - recommendations from relatives and acquaintances, good reviews on social networks and the Internet, the location of the dental practice near the patient's home, random selection of a dentist and clinic, preference for visiting the same dentist for years. The demographic factor - patient's age also has an impact on assessing the quality of dental care provided. In recent decades, there has been a rapid development of new tendencies in the management and assessment of the quality of dental services worldwide. The aim of this scientific study is to investigate the influence of patients' age as a factor influencing the choice of a dentist and clinic for dental treatment, and the subsequent assessment of the quality of the dental care provided. A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2025 and May 2026. 529 patients from different ages participated in the scientific study, with the youngest patient participating in the study being 18 years old and the oldest 89. The average age of the patients participating in the study is 53 years old. For the purposes of the study, the patients filled out a questionnaire. The questionnaire provided for patients to fill out is anonymous, and participation in the scientific study is voluntary. The information from the questionnaire was used and presented only in summary form. The data from the scientific study was processed using the SPSS v.31.0 statistical software. The results of the scientific study show that younger patients more often choose a dentist through reviews from social networks, which are the main source of information for them. For older patients, the first choice is the dental office closest to home. The location of the dental clinic and its team gains importance due to differences in patient mobility, transport accessibility and the need for more frequent visits. 30.6% of all patients participating in the study choose the dentist they want to visit through a recommendation from acquaintances and friends. In the scientific literature, personal recommendation is considered a form of social trust, where the decision is based on the real experience of family members, friends and acquaintances. The analysis of the age of patients in relation to the individual criteria for choosing a dentist can help to better adapt dental services to the needs and preferences by patients’ different age groups.