Prosthetic rehabilitation modalities and their socioeconomic association in a sample of adult Egyptians

Background Teeth loss results in significant complications that can severally affect the individuals’ general health and social activities. Several studies have documented the association between socioeconomic issues and the prevalence of oral diseases and prosthetic rehabilitation. Thus, this study aimed to explore the impact of socioeconomic factors on prosthetic rehabilitation modalities in a sample of adult urban and rural Egyptian populations. Patients and methods A total of 400 adults of age over 18 years were included in this study. Half of them were from urban governorates (Cairo and Giza). And the other half were from the rural governorate (Al-Fayoum). Information concerning demographic (sex and age) and socioeconomic (education level, occupation, and income) factors were collected using the modified WHO questionnaire. In addition, prosthetic rehabilitation status was evaluated through intraoral examination. Results The percentage of female participants was higher than males in both urban and rural regions. The age range for more than two-thirds of the participants was from 30 to 60 years. In urban areas, about 39% of participants were completely dentulous, 34.5% were partially edentulous without prosthetic rehabilitation, and only 26.5% made dental prostheses. Regarding rural participants, about 35% of them were completely dentulous, 64.5% partially edentulous without prosthetic treatment, and only 0.05% received prosthesis. Comparison between the urban and rural dentition status and rehabilitation modalities showed a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). Socioeconomic factors (education, occupation, and income) affect the type of prosthetic treatment modalities, particularly fixed prostheses especially in the urban area. Conclusion Socioeconomic determinants greatly affected prosthetic rehabilitation modalities in the studied urban and rural Egyptians. In rural areas, socioeconomic factors negatively impacted the capability of prosthetic treatment.