Study of Dental Services Utilisation and Patient Satisfaction at a Federal Medical Centre in Borno State

Measuring dental services utilisation and patient satisfaction in conflict-affected North East Nigeria provides evidence for rebuilding and strengthening dental care infrastructure following years of insurgency disruption. This study assessed dental services utilisation and patient satisfaction at the Federal Medical Centre Nguru, Yobe State, and Federal Medical Centre Maiduguri, Borno State, North East Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 310 dental clinic patients over a three-month period. Service utilisation was assessed through clinical records, and patient satisfaction was measured using an adapted Dental Satisfaction Questionnaire covering access, quality of care, pain management, staff attitude, and waiting time. Results showed that toothache and dental extraction were the most common reasons for attendance (61.3 percent combined). The mean satisfaction score was 3.4 out of 5.0. Waiting time was the lowest-rated satisfaction domain (mean 2.6). Staff attitude and clinical quality received the highest satisfaction ratings. Only 26.8 percent of patients attended for preventive reasons. Female patients showed significantly higher overall satisfaction. Travel time above 1 hour was a significant access barrier for 44.5 percent. Irregularity of drug and material supplies affected service quality in both centres during the survey period. Recommendations include expanding outreach dental clinics to reduce travel burden, improving supply chain reliability at government dental facilities, and training additional dental officers for deployment in North East Nigeria.

Keywords: dental services utilisation, patient satisfaction, Federal Medical Centre, Borno State, North East Nigeria