EVALUATION OF FACTORS INVOLVED IN MISSED DENTAL APPOINTMENTS BY ADULTS IN PAKISTAN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Objective: This research sought to quantify the frequency of missed dental visits at PIMS in Islamabad and evaluate the contributing variables.

Methods: Data was gathered utilizing questionnaires from 50 dentists and 155 patients who were chosen at random. The frequency of this problem and its underlying causes were revealed via analysis of the data from these surveys. The information gathered from two private clinics' appointments and financial records was then compared to that from patients' and dentists' surveys.

Results: The average number of missed dental visits is 22.5%. Patients said that anxiety about discomfort and unexpected circumstances were the two most frequent excuses for skipping dental visits. The most important variables were the patient's age, income, education, if they were in discomfort and their psychological state. The findings indicated that missed dental visits cost a dental facility significantly each day.

Conclusions: The proportion of missed dental visits was determined to be unacceptable due to its detrimental effects on all parties concerned. The initial visit is when patients' psychology may be changed and missed dental appointment rules should be put in place after that.

Keywords: missed appointment, missed appointment, dental appointment