Knowledge, Attitude, and Awareness About Dental Implants among the Raichur Population – A Questionnaire Study

Introduction

One of the key indicators of oral health in a population is tooth loss and in between the populations there are noteworthy differences. In one of the previous studies conducted in India, tooth loss prevalence was around 57%.¹ One’s teeth loss can lead to various problems such as reduced masticatory function, supra-eruption of opposing teeth, drifting of adjacent teeth, loss of self-confidence, altered speech, and feelings of bereavement and aesthetic problems. According to most researchers, aesthetics and restoring function are often essential requirements for those patients.

Edentulousness, either partial or complete, is a major ailment. Since time immemorial, it is widely linked to psychosocial, aesthetic, and functional shortcomings. Repair and reconstruction of tooth loss is primarily by the lost dentition substitution with the artificial replacement of the teeth either in the form of removable which are meant to restore the lost function and appearance or in the form of dentures which are fixed. The replacement should in fact camouflage the defect in total.²

Dental implants were primarily used for the treatment of edentulous patients and thus are related to improved denture retention, functional efficiency, stability, and quality of life. Although lost teeth replacement with the dental implants is found as a helpful experience by the patients, but the patient’s awareness of evidence-based treatment is dispersed and the data that is given by media doesn’t reflect evidence-based information. In a professional society, it is necessary that the information given to be true.³

Awareness of cognition of patients regarding dental implants can help with the evaluation of their expectations and those which can be obtained in reality and it can also prevent from a negative image of the patient from dentist, that is due to the communication gap and user’s disapproval. Many investigations have been done about the patient’s awareness of dental implants. Level of awareness regarding dental implant treatment varies among numerous studies in various countries.³

Hence, the main aim of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitude, and awareness about dental implants among Raichur population.

Materials and Methods

A descriptive type of study was designed. Printed questionnaire survey forms were circulated among 200 people in Raichur. A standard questionnaire with 20 multiple-choice questions was delivered to patients to assess knowledge, attitude, and awareness about dental implants. Inclusion criteria for participants were age 14 years and more, with no previous dental implants, and not inpatient. Exclusion criteria for participants were patients aged less than 14 years, very old uncooperative patients, and physically or mentally disabled patients.

Sample size

A total of 200 study participants who satisfied the required inclusion criteria during the study period were selected. The study participants were selected by a simple random convenience sampling method. Then the printed questionnaires were given to patients during their regular dental visits. All study participants were informed about the study and the aim of the study.

Questionnaire

1. Do you have missing teeth?

a) YES b) NO

2. Did you replace your missing teeth?

a) YES b) NO

3. Do you think the replacement of missing teeth is important?

a) Very important

b) Somewhat important

c) Not important at all

d) Don’t know

4. What is the reason for replacing missing teeth?

a) Esthetic

b) Functional

c) Both esthetic and functional

d) Don’t know

5. Do you know the different ways of replacing missing teeth?

a) YES b) NO

6. Are you aware of fixed teeth/cap/crown?

a) YES b) NO

7. Are you aware of removable teeth?

a) YES b) NO

8. Have you ever had a dental implant/screw placed?

a) YES b) NO

9. Have you ever heard about dental implants/screw?

a) YES b) NO

10. Source of information about dental implants?

a) Friends

b) Family

c) Other sources

d) No sources

11. What material are dental implants made from?

a) Stainless steel

b) Titanium

c) Ceramic

d) Don’t know

12. Do you think implant placement is an invasive procedure?

a) YES b) NO

13. Would you like to know more about dental implants?

a) YES b) NO

14. At what age people might undergo implant treatment?

a) 25-30 years

b) 30-50 years

c) 50-60 years

d) Don’t know

15. How long do you think dental implant lasts for?

a) 5-10 years

b) 10-20 years

c) More than 20 years

d) Don’t know

16. What might be the treatment duration of dental implant?

a) 1-2 months

b) 3-4 months

c) 4-6 months

d) Don’t know

17. What do you think is the advantages of dental implant?

a) Improved speech

b) Durability

c) Convenience and function

d) Don’t know

18. Do you think implants need special care compared to natural teeth?

a) YES b) NO

19. What are the disadvantages of dental implant?

a) High cost

b) Need for surgery

c) Long treatment time

d) All of the above

20. What do you think may be the side effect of dental implants?

a) Swelling

b) Pain

c) Mobility

d) All of the above

Statistical analysis

The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences [SPSS] for Windows Version 22.0 Released 2013. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp., was used to perform statistical analyses.

Results

A significant proportion of participants [72%] did not had missing teeth and 28% of them had missing teeth. 46.4% of them got their missing teeth replaced. Majority of them perceived that the replacement of the missing teeth is very significant [89%] and [78%] have felt that it is needed for both esthetic and function.

More than 90% of them were aware about different ways of replacing the missing teeth and the existence of fixed teeth/cap/crown and removable dentures. About 50% of the patients who had missing teeth, have got their missing teeth replaced by a dental implant. About 67% of participants were having knowledge of the dental implants. Approximately 50% of the participants in the study had prior knowledge of dental implants, which they had acquired from various sources.

The above responses to the study questionnaire were statistically significant at p<0.001. However, the responses from the participants about missing tooth replacement and those who had got missing tooth replacement with dental implants were not statistically significant (Table 1).

The mean sum total response score for knowledge/ awareness towards dental implants in the below poverty line participants was significantly lesser [9.73 ± 1.88] as compared to Above Poverty Line participants and the difference was statistically significant at p<0.001 (Graph 1).

Similarly, the mean sum total response score for knowledge/awareness towards dental implants in the graduate & above qualified participants was significantly higher [10.61 ± 3.09] as compared to undergraduate participants [10.32 ± 1.94] and the difference showed statistically significance at p=0.04 (Graph 2).

However, the mean sum total response score for knowledge/awareness towards dental implants among Unemployed participants [10.45 ± 3.19] and Employed participants [10.51 ± 1.78] did not show a significant difference (Graph 3).

Discussion

Nowadays, dental implants are accepted to be the treatment of complete or partial edentulous patients. In this study, knowledge, awareness, and attitude about dental implants among the Raichur population was assessed. In this study, about % of the patients who had missing teeth, have got their missing teeth replaced by a dental implant.

About 67% of the study participants were known about dental implants and nearly 50% of the participants heard regarding dental implants through other sources. Individuals can be provided with information regarding dental implants by several ways including media, dentists, and friends. It was reported from the United States that 77% got the information from the press with little contribution from their dentists. Moreover, a study in Japan revealed that 20% of dentists provided information about dental implants to patients.³ A study which was done by Hosadurga et al, in India showed that 4% of dentists were the key source of information.⁴ While in our study it was 50% of the participants heard regarding dental implants from other sources and less information from friends (9%) and family (10%). Tepper et al, had done a study in Australia they found that dentist was the source of information for 68% of participants, followed by printed media 23% and friends 22%.³

About 87.7% of the individuals in our study were willing to learn more about dental implant treatment, and the majority preferred to get information from other sources like dentists, media, and magazines.

In a study by Deebs et al,⁵ it was revealed that majority of the people thought that cost of the implant procedure is a key factor for not opting this as a treatment option. The disadvantage was the high cost (82%) of dental implants in the point of view of our participants.

Tepper et al, ³ Faramarzi et al, ⁶ and Alanazi et al, ⁷ reported that majority of patients believed that the usage of implants needs more maintenance (46%, 33%, and 66%, respectively), while our study showed that 38% of the participants do not have any idea about this, while 90% thought that the implants requires additional care when compared to natural teeth.

Tapper et al,³ carried out a study about the durability of dental implants among Austrian population, in which 54% of patients revealed that the implant durability is 10–20 years. Esfahani and Moosaali⁸ reported 37.7% and Faramarzi et al, ⁶ reported that 70.7%, of the participants did not have any idea about the durability of dental implants and in our present study, 76% of the participants had no idea regarding the durability of implants while 80% of the responders didn’t had any idea about the duration of dental implant treatment which means that subjects had inadequate information about dental implants. Zimmer et al, ⁹ and Faramarzi et al, ⁶ reported that function is the maximum significant factor, while in our study convenience and function are the most advantages of dental implants.

This survey was conducted in a limited group of people; further studies are required to be conducted amongst the people to access the level of awareness regarding dental implants amongst larger strata of people.

Dentists should actively involve in informing and counseling potential implant patients. Efforts should be put to raise the awareness regarding dental implants in the students so that their patients also will be benefitted and by growing total awareness and information about dental implants in the general public.

Conclusion

The results of the current study indicate that there is a fair public acceptance and awareness of implant treatment. In this study, 50% of patients had got their missing teeth replaced by a dental implants, 67% of the study participants were aware of the dental implants, and nearly 50% of the participants had known about dental implants through other sources. Other sources like mainly dentists were the most common source for patients, thus indicating the importance of clinicians in spreading awareness among the general population and common people. Efforts should be put to raise the awareness regarding dental implants in the students so that their patients also will be benefitted and by growing total awareness and information about dental implants in the general public.

Source(s) of Support

Nil

Conflicts of interest

No conflicts of interest