Journal of AdvancedMedical and Dental Sciences Research

Background: The application of dental implant-supported prosthesis for the use as a replacement for missing teeth has shown a rapid increase. Aim: The purpose of this study was to ascertain the level of awareness regarding dental implants as a choice of treatment in the urban Indian population. Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study based on a survey that was conducted on 300 individuals. The study questionnaire was comprised of 4 segments a) Part I contained questions related to demographics (i) age (ii) gender and (iii) marital status b) Part II comprised of questions for assessment of level of knowledge such as (i) different methods for replacement of missing teeth, (ii) information regarding dental implants, (iii) information source, (iv)complete duration of dental implants placement and (v) disadvantages related to implants; c) Part III contained items for assessment of attitudes of study participants towards dental implants and included (i) interest regarding gathering more knowledge regarding dental implant system, (ii) source of gaining information with regards to implants, (iii) role of functionality of various implants, (iv) total amount involved in placement of implants and (v) importance of a specialized dental practitioner for placement of implants and d) Part IV which was constituted by seven questions for investigating the level of awareness of study respondents on dental implants. These were (i) importance of oral hygiene for maintaining the interface between implant and tooth compared to a natural tooth, (ii) choice regarding replacement of missing teeth with an implant prosthesis, (iii) requirement of a specialist dental professional for placement of implant, (iv) effectiveness of placing implants when compared with various other modalities of replacement of teeth among others. For statistical analysis, the data were collected and entered in a master chart prepared in Microsoft Excel worksheet as mean ± standard deviation (± SD) or frequency/number of cases with percentages, wherever considered appropriate. Inter-group statistical comparison was performed by using the Chi-square test. P values <0.05 were considered to have statistical significance. Entire statistical calculations were done by using the computer software program, IBM SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Science; IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA) version 22.0 designed for Microsoft Windows. Results and observations: Of total participants, 67.2 % were females, and 32.8% were males. 43.5% of subjects were aged between 32 to 40 years. 71.0% were married. 62.2% were graduates. 81.6% of study participants knew about implants while 59.4% of participants believed in their longevity. 72.1% considered them as very expensive and 13.4% considered them as a part of prolonged treatment. 31.2% received information from their friends/relatives. 71.3% of responders desired more information. 95% believed that implants require greater hygiene when compared to natural teeth. 92.3% wanted them placed by a specialized person. 82.3% of respondents knew about the better functionality of implant-supported prosthetics. Conclusion: The majority of the population has awareness regarding dental implants while the major drawback was their high cost.