DefinePK

Abstract

Background: Implant dentistry offers a reliable, advanced alternative to traditional prosthetics for replacing missing teeth. The objective of this study was to document patient’s related local and systemic causes that preclude dental implant prosthesis. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of 16 months in Prosthodontics Department, Peshawar Dental College, Peshawar, Pakistan. The study population consisted of patients seeking missing tooth/ teeth replacements. The data to identify factors hindering implant supported prosthesis was collected through a pre-structured proforma, interviews, clinical, and radiographic assessments. Data was analysed on SPSS-24 via post-stratification chi-square test. Results: The study involved 219 participants aged 19–65 years, with a mean age of 41.79±12.5 years. The implant supported prosthesis faced psycho-social obstacles (180, 82%) such as lack of information, time constraints, and procedure-related fear. Systemic causes included uncontrolled diabetes (26, 11.9%), active smoking (15, 6.8%), and age extremes (7, 3.2%), while local/oral factors included inadequate space and bruxism due to protracted tooth loss (11, 5%), and bruxism (13, 5.9%). Conclusion: Ignorance and cost are the major barriers to dental implant supported prosthesis selection, along with oral factors like bruxism and insufficient space, and systemic variables like diabetes and smoking. Public education regarding these issues is recommended.
Pak J Physiol 2025;21(3):22–5, DOI: https://doi.org/10.69656/pjp.v21i3.1861