“If I have teeth, I can smile.” Experiences with tooth loss and the use of a removable dental prosthesis among people who are partially and completely edentulous in Karnataka, India

The loss of natural teeth seemed to affect the psychological, functional, and social well-being of participants. Tooth loss was believed to be a natural aging process. Costs of treatment deterred the uptake of fixed denture treatment options. However, some participants preferred removable dentures to fixed prosthesis.