Analysis of patient's understanding of dental related words at Kyushu Dental University Hospital

• Published in: Nihon Shishubyo Gakkai Kaishi (Journal of the Japanese Society of Periodontology) Vol. 62; no. 3; pp. 136 - 146
• Main Authors: Usui, Michihiko, Onizuka, Satoru, Kasai, Shingo, Sano, Kotaro, Hanatani, Tomoya, Konoo, Tetsuro, Nakashima, Keisuke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese; English
• Published: JAPANESE SOCIETY OF PERIODONTOLOGY 30.09.2020
• Subjects: dental related words; medical communication; patients; understanding
• ISSN: 0385-0110; 1880-408X
• DOI: 10.2329/perio.62.136

Dental-related words used daily by dental professionals are often difficult for patients to understand. The use of dental-related words that are not understood by the patients during medical interviews can cause inadequate medical communication and interfere with the building of good dentist-patient relationships. In this study, we investigated the extent to which patients understood dental-related words that are used daily and compared the results with those of a similar survey conducted in 2006. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted of 216 patients who visited the Kyushu Dental University Hospital. After the responses to the questionnaires were collected, the overall level of understanding was examined, by gender and by generation. In addition, the results for 38 words were compared between the current and previous surveys. The well-understood terms were inflammation, dental plaque, tartar, saliva, brushing, x-ray, bacteria, periodontal disease, and interdental brushing, while terms such as swelling, inlay, caries, buccal, root bifurcation, and temporary crown were less comprehensible. As compared to the previous survey, the level of comprehension had improved significantly for 31 out of the 38 terms. Furthermore, a cluster analysis of correlations among dental-related words revealed that the terms used during periodontal treatment, such as brushing, periodontal disease, saliva, inflammation, bacteria, x-rays, dental plaque, tartar, interdental brush, denture, and infection were highly correlated with each other. These results show that the level of understanding of dental-related words has increased significantly over the past decade. The findings of the survey suggest that it is necessary to continue to educate patients so that they can understand dental-related words correctly in the future.