Digital complete dentures: awareness, perceptions, and acceptance among elderly patients in Romania

Complete dentures made using digital methods might be more aesthetic, accurate, and comfortable for patients than those made using traditional techniques. This study aimed to investigate how much patients actually know about this relatively new advancement in the field of prosthodontics and what are their thoughts on potentially receiving such prosthodontic treatment. A cross-sectional survey of 92 participants from the UMFCD Dental Prosthodontics Clinic in Romania was conducted. All participants were over the age of 60. The survey was administered in a 2-month period, both face-to-face and online, through a structured questionnaire. The survey addressed several domains: (1) sociodemographics, (2) the amount and kind of informational exposure to digital dentistry, (3) perceived benefits and concerns regarding the same, (4) the level of trust in digital dentistry, and (5) treatment preferences in terms of using digital versus conventional methods. For statistical analysis, descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used. Participants had an average age of 76.65 years, were mostly male (60.87%), and had moderate levels of education (50% at the gymnasium level). Their overall awareness regarding digital dentures was relatively low (44%). The principal perceived advantage was superior esthetics compared to conventional dentures (31.52%), consistent with previous literature. Other perceived advantages included that they would likely adapt to digital dentures faster than to traditional dentures (16.30%). The main perceived disadvantage was the cost (48.91%). No statistically significant associations were found when the level of education was compared to the awareness of digital dentures (p=0.061). A trend, however, was observed in favor of the more educated participants. Improving patient knowledge, making treatments more affordable, and using clear communication could help increase acceptance among elderly patients.