Knowledge and awareness of dental implants among elderly people in Croatia.

PURPOSE The use of inserted dental implants is growing every day in order to improve retention and stability of complete removable dental prostheses (RDPs), especially in the mandible. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the knowledge and awareness of dental implants among elderly people wearing complete RDPs. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study, based on answers from a questionnaire designed for the purpose of this study, included 301 participants wearing complete RDPs from elderly care homes with average age of 74 years. RESULTS The awareness of dental implants was statistically significantly (p < 0.05) affected by the participants' age, residence size, and their level of education. Younger participants (x¯ = 70 years) had heard about dental implants (56.5%; p < 0.05) and believed in the possibility of retaining complete RPDs using dental implants (56.1%; p < 0.05). Among participants living in places with populations of 10,000 or fewer residents, more had not heard about dental implants (59.4%; p < 0.05). Among participants who had completed college/university or high school, there were a higher number of participants who had heard about dental implants (82.4%; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION Although more than half of the participants had heard of dental implants, this did not mean they were well informed about the implant insertion procedure and the costs for such a treatment. In conclusion, awareness of dental implants in studied participants was insufficient. The results reinforce the need for better education and the provision of proper information to elderly people about dental implants and implant treatment options.