title: Knowledge of consequences of missing teeth in patients attending prosthetic clinic in u.C.h. Ibadan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Various causes of tooth loss such as caries, trauma, periodontal diseases, and cancer have been documented in the literature. In addition, factors that can modify these causes such as level of education, age and sex have been studied. There is however paucity of information on whether patients or people with missing teeth are aware of the side effects of tooth loss on them or on the remaining teeth. This study investigated the knowledge of consequences of missing teeth among partially edentulous patients in a teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to the patients to collect information relating to demography, cause and duration of tooth loss, awareness of the consequences of tooth loss and their sources of information. Four clinical conditions including supra-eruption, mastication, teeth drifting, and facial collapse were used to assess the level of awareness of consequences of missing teeth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and three participants were included in the study. Their mean age was 45.5±1.8 years. There was no significant difference between the knowledge of the consequences of missing teeth and sex or on level of education (p(·) 0.05). Dentists constituted the largest source of information to these patients (25.6%) while the media constituted the least (0.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The result of this study showed poor knowledge of the consequences of missing teeth among partially edentulous patients and the media that should be of assistance were equally unaware, signifying urgent need for public awareness on this subject.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Dosumu
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Ogunrinde
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bamigboye
keywords: Consequence of missing teeth.; Level of awareness; Tooth loss