Awareness of dental implant treatment in an Indian metropolitan population

Abstract

Introduction: As implant dentistry becomes popular with each passing, need to understand its awareness in the general population exists. The aim of this study was to assess the public awareness of dental implants as a treatment option and its demographic distribution in the Indian Metropolitan City of Mumbai. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire-based survey consisting of 12 questions on implant treatment awareness was conducted on randomly selected 1000 individuals attending eight dental clinics in the city of Mumbai, India. Distribution for each question was assessed using frequencies and percentages for various sociodemographic groups. Results: 32.30% of the participants were aware of dental implants as an option to replace missing teeth, without significant variance in gender and age groups ranging from 18 to 70 years. Awareness of dental implant treatment increased with the increase in socioeconomic status. Dentists were the main source of information on implants, followed by the internet. 46.8% of the participants wanted additional information on dental implants. Among those aware of implants, 62.85% of the participants regarded high cost of the treatment as the biggest disadvantage, 31.89% of the participants blamed their dental professional for the failure of implants, 48.92% of the participants thought implants would last a lifetime, and 85.45% of the participants were ready to restore their missing teeth with implant-based treatment options. Conclusion: This study reveals that there is a lack of awareness of dental implants and implant-based treatment in the population, especially in those with a low socioeconomic status. However, a significant portion of the population wanted to have more information on dental implants. Special efforts to improve doctor-patient communications will be needed to bridge the information gap.