Development and Psychometric Evaluation of a Multidimensional Model for Assessing Domains of Patient Satisfaction with Dental Services

The study aimed to develop and preliminarily evaluate a multidimensional model and questionnaire for assessing domains of patient satisfaction with dental services in the context of Polish dental care. Analyses were based on data collected in a cross-sectional online survey conducted among 336 patients. Confirmatory factor analysis supported an eight-factor structure comprising dentist-patient communication, dentist’s sensitivity to patient pain, professional competence, trust in the dentist, availability of services, dental clinic equipment, dental clinic location, and value of services. The model showed acceptable fit to the data and provided evidence of convergent and discriminant validity, with all HTMT values below the recommended threshold of 0.85. The final questionnaire comprised 32 items organised into eight four-item scales, which showed acceptable-to-high internal consistency. Structural equation modelling revealed a pattern consistent with a statistical mediation model in which general satisfaction links evaluations of specific domains of dental services with revisit intention. These findings support the usefulness of the proposed multidimensional model for assessing patient satisfaction with dental services, although further validation in independent samples is needed to confirm its temporal stability, measurement invariance, predictive validity, and generalizability.