Patient satisfaction in four types of dental practice.

There has been a significant growth in alternative types of dental practice. To determine satisfaction, patients were surveyed in urban private practices, a hospital dental clinic, a neighborhood health center, and a large group practice situated in a shopping center, using a 14-item survey and a 5-point rating scale. Patient satisfaction was related to the following factors in descending order: dentist, staff, efficiency, time-cost, and accessibility.