Replacement of missing teeth in a southern region of Vietnam--a descriptive dental laboratory study.

Aim: To explore whether tooth replacement in a southern region of Vietnam is in line with the primary health care approach, aiming at health services for all people at affordable costs.
Methods: Tooth replacement was investigated by means of prostheses as delivered by four dental laboratories of which the output was considered representative. Information was based on dental casts related to the prostheses.
Results: Prostheses replaced almost all missing teeth, irrespective of the types (interrupted or shortened dental arches) and numbers of missing teeth in the dental arch they were made for. Acrylic removable partial dentures were the most common prostheses delivered (65% of removable partial dentures).
Conclusion: It cannot be stated that dental arch conditions in this study were representative for the southern Vietnamese population. However, it is concluded that dental practitioners tend to provide complete dental arches by tooth replacements. This morphologically based approach might introduce over treatment. In line with primary oral health care, a functionally oriented treatment management, including the shortened dental arch concept, should be implemented.