Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of returns for maintenance among older adults who received complete dentures at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry. A secondary objective was to investigate associations between patient demographic characteristics, clinical factors, treatment variables, and the frequency of follow‐up appointments. Materials and Methods This retrospective cohort study evaluated 608 patients aged 65 years or older who received complete dentures between 2016 and 2021. De‐identified data retrieved from electronic health records included follow‐up appointments, age, gender, clinic type, provider type, insurance status, mental health condition, distance from the dental school, and number of prescribed medications. Adherence to follow‐up appointments was categorized as “Never,” “Once,” “Intermittent,” or “Always.” Statistical analyses included Fisher's exact tests and a multinomial logistic regression model. Results Only 3.6% of patients consistently adhered to follow‐up recommendations, while 6.7% never attended any follow‐up appointments. Insurance type and provider level were significantly associated with follow‐up adherence. Medicaid patients had the lowest follow‐up rates. Patients treated by predoctoral students showed significantly higher follow‐up attendance compared to those treated by faculty or graduate students (Once vs. Never OR = 5.70, p < 0.001). Gender, clinic type, and mental health status were not significantly associated with follow‐up behavior. Conclusion Strict adherence to follow‐up recommendations was rare. Patients treated by predoctoral students and those not on Medicaid demonstrated higher rates of follow‐up attendance in this dental school sample.
Elbaz et al. (Thu,) studied this question.