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Barriers and Capacity for Prosthetic Dental Care in Myanmar: A Cross-sectional Survey
Tun Min Bo1, Duangporn Duangthip2, Nay Aung3
1Department of Community Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Introduction And Aims:
Limited evidence exists on prosthetic dental care in Myanmar. This study aimed to assess prosthodontic service capacity, practitioner-perceived barriers, teledentistry use, and training needs.
Methods:
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among dentists providing prosthodontic treatment in Myanmar (November-December 2025), using convenience sampling. The questionnaire covered demographics, service capacity, barriers, teledentistry, and training needs. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests with Bonferroni correction, and logistic regression were used.
Results:
Among 367 dentists, most practiced in urban areas (71.9%) and private clinics (79.0%). The majority of respondents reported providing crowns, bridges, and dentures, while 29.4% offered implants. High-volume delivery (>50 units/month) was reported by 36.2%, associated with male sex (adjusted odds ratio, 2.88) and ≥10 years' experience (adjusted odds ratio, 3.60). Leading barriers to providing prosthetics were patients' financial constraints (87.5%), low patient awareness regarding prosthetic treatment options (71.4%), and high prosthetic material costs (70.8%). Barriers related to material and equipment availability, patient fear, and technician access varied significantly across geographic regions (P < .05). Teledentistry use was low (30.8%), and top training needs were digital dentistry (88.6%) and implant prosthodontics (82.0%).
Conclusions:
Prosthodontic services in Myanmar remain predominantly urban-centred and privately delivered, with significant structural, geographic, and economic barriers affecting equitable access to care. Workforce development, laboratory support, and digital dentistry training may strengthen service delivery. Teledentistry remains underutilised; while early adopters view it positively, poor internet and training gaps are major barriers to wider implementation.
Clinical Relevance:
This study provides preliminary practitioner-based evidence regarding prosthetic dental service capacity and barriers to care in Myanmar and may help inform workforce planning and digital oral health strategies in similar low-resource settings.
