‘I Got Dentures in, So at Least I Can Eat Now’: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' Perceptions of and Experiences With Removable Dentures

Introduction Provision of dentures to people with partial or complete tooth loss aims to restore oral health and improve functions such as chewing and speech, and facial appearance. Lived experience perspectives regarding tooth loss and subsequent oral rehabilitation with dentures are underexplored, particularly among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Australia, who experience persistent inequities in oral health and access to dental care. The aim of the current study is to understand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults' perceptions of and experiences with removable dentures. Methods The qualitative results are part of a quasi‐experimental study exploring culturally safe dental care among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (retrospectively registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, trial registration: ACTRN12626000046303). Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 136 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results Three overarching themes were developed: (1) Decision‐making for dentures: Pain, prior treatment and appearance; (2) Unmet needs and expectations of dentures; and (3) Dentures influence social and emotional wellbeing. Together, these themes comprise seven subthemes. Conclusion Participants described various impacts including functional challenges related to both tooth loss and denture wearing, limited patient autonomy around denture‐related decision‐making, high costs and improvements to confidence and social and emotional wellbeing after provision of dentures. So What? Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults highlight the need for equitable approaches to accessible, affordable and patient‐centred prosthetic care that ensures a holistic focus on quality of life to promote oral health and wellbeing.