Community-dwelling older adults' satisfaction and experiences with two non-surgical caries treatments: a mixed methods study.

Introduction: Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) and Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) are effective non-surgical treatments for caries, but few studies have assessed the satisfaction of these treatments with older adults. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate older adults' satisfaction with SDF and ART. Methods: The participants were part of a larger cluster-randomized clinical trial to investigate comparative effectiveness of SDF vs. ART. They were ≥62 years of age and lived independently in subsidized housing facilities. A mixed methods approach was used to evaluate satisfaction: 1) quantitatively utilizing a 6-item satisfaction survey completed by all participants at the final follow-up visit at 52 weeks; and 2) qualitatively by focus group discussions with randomly selected participants. Multiple data sources were used to increase data triangulation. Bivariate analyses were completed for surveys, and a thematic analysis was conducted for focus groups. The discussions were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for emerging themes. Results: Overall, 485 participants completed the satisfaction survey, and three focus groups were conducted with a total of 20 participants ( Conclusion: These findings indicate high satisfaction levels for SDF and ART treatments in low-income community-dwelling older adults, and that they can be delivered in clinical and community settings.