Factors affecting patients' decision-making for dental prosthetic treatment

Korean society experienced dramatic change in various fields in recent decades. GNP per capita was just US$ 82 in 1960 but surged to US$ 10,000 in 1997 just before the Asian financial crisis. It was temporarily dropped for the next two to three years and it is about US$ 16,000 in 2006. Thanks to raised standard of living and the improvement and distribution of medical supplies and appliances, people’s interest about their health was heightened and resulted in the improvement of health status. Average life expectancy was enormously improved from 59 years of age in 1960 to 77 years of age in 2006. In 1999, Korea became an aging society, which is defined as the percentage of elderly people who are 65 years and older is 7% or more. The population of the elderly increased steadily since then to reach 9.3% in 2006 and is expected to be over 14% in 2016 and will be over 20% in 2024 with entering a super-aging society. Along with longer life expectancy of the aging people, changes of Korean society in general are increasing people’s interest about their dental health. Furthermore, their efforts to maintain good oral health are steadily reinforced. Higher income and aging of the population raises demand and expectation of dental prosthetic treatment. Main purpose of the prosthetic treatment is changed from restoring chewing function to achieving esthetic function, as patient’s expectation about the prosthetic treatment is getting higher. Therefore, appropriate clinical environment and social condition are needed to provide safe and continuous dental care along with well-functioning and esthetic dental treatment to the public considering diversely changing social environment. Deciding to get dental prosthetic treatment is expected to have close relationships with demographic characteristics such as gender, age, education, economic condition, interest and expectation about health, and surrounding environment. In this context, investigating the status of dental prosthetic treatment and factors affecting decision making of dental prosthetic treatment are meaningful not only to the patients but to restoring dentist and dental technician.