Denture requirements of indigents in the Western Cape region

This study was undertaken to determine the denture requirements of indigents who make application to the Department of National Health and Population Development for prostheses. An analysis of 4573 denture application forms for the period 1 January 1983 to 31 December 1984 was undertaken in the Western Cape region in order to obtain the relevant information. The general profile of applicants was that of a middle-aged coloured female who was unemployed with a monthly income of R144.51. Almost 60 per cent of applicants had been edentulous for a period of 1-10 years and the greatest demand was for full upper and lower dentures. The mean period of wearning dentures ranged between 15.9 and 21.7 years. A disturbing finding was that a high percentage of applicants (48.6%) had no motivational reasons for wanting dentures.