DENTAL IMPLANT FOR TOOTH REPLACEMENT: AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE AMONG PATIENTS SEEN AT RAWAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

Abstract

In current era, the best treatment modality for partially or completely edentulous patients is dental implant prosthesis worldwide. Although replacing missing teeth with dental implants is believed as satisfactory experience by patients, the awareness and knowledge about dental implants vary between individuals as well as countries.The purpose of this study was to assess the patients knowledge and awareness about dental implants. It was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey performed in Islamabad at Prosthodontics Department, Rawal Institute of Health Science, in which self- structured questionnaires were distributed among 400 outdoor patients. Questionnaire included patient age, gender, level of education, knowledge about different treatment options for missing teeth, awareness of dental implants as treatment option, positive and negative patient perception about dental implant and source of information.
Only 38% (152) patients were aware of dental implants as treatment modality for missing teeth.Main reason given by patients not to avail dental implant as treatment option was cost (65.13%). Positive information among patients who were aware about implant option was high esthetic (50.67%) and high success rate (32.23%). Mainly dentists (44.08%) provided information about implant to patients. The association between patients educational level and awareness about dental implant as treatment option for replacing missing teeth is statistically significant with the P-value = 0.01
The study concluded that majority of participants were not having knowledge regarding dental implants.Cost of dental implant is main hurdle for patients to choose implant as option. Reduced cost will facilitate patients with low socioeconomic status to choose dental implant as treatment option in developing countries like Pakistan.