Prosthesis choice in the adult USA population with partial edentulism.

Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of prostheses and investigate how demographic and socioeconomic characteristics influence choices of restoration types in the adult population of the United States over 20 years of age.

Materials and methods: The study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) conducted from 2017 to March 2020 Pre-Pandemic Data. We examined demographic and socioeconomic variables, dentition status, and restoration types among participants with partial edentulism. The percentage of categorical variables between restoration types was compared using chi-square tests. Multinomial logistic regression models were employed to explore the relationship between prosthetic choices and demographic and socioeconomic factors, both unadjusted and adjusted for all characteristics, including the number of missing teeth.

Results: Out of 15,560 participants, 7,805 eligible individuals with a mean age of 47.8 and a male percentage of 48.4% were included in the analysis. The results indicated that individuals who were younger, male, of Mexican American or non-Hispanic Black ethnicity, possessed lower educational attainment, were never married, had a low income-to-poverty ratio, held private insurance, or were unemployed were more inclined to choose no restoration. Further, males, non-Hispanic Black individuals, those with lower educational attainment, lower income-to-poverty ratios, and those who were unemployed or retired were more likely to choose RPDs over FPDs. Furthermore, never-married individuals and those with private insurance were likelier to choose FPDs in the maxilla (p < 0.01).

Conclusions: Significant differences were observed among restoration types, demographic and socioeconomic variables, and dentition status in both the upper and lower jaws.

Clinical relevance: This study underscores the significance of socioeconomic variables in the restoration of partial edentulism.