Enhancing access to removable dental prosthesis in public health through digital pathway: A study in Rio de Janeiro

ABSTRACT This study compares three methods for producing Removable Dental Prostheses (RDPs) within Rio de Janeiro’s public health system. Between June and December 2023, a convenience-sampled, three-arm, parallel-group study involving 45 patients was conducted. Participants were allocated based on their position on the waiting list for prosthodontic services: Conventional Method (CM), Hybrid Method (HM), or Digital Method (DM). Data on the number of appointments and production time were collected. Descriptive statistics and the Kruskal-Wallis H test were used to assess differences among the methods. Of the 45 patients, 44.4% received RDPs via CM, 40% via HM, and 15.6% via DM. DM required the highest average number of appointments (5.86), followed by CM (5.35) and HM (4.83). Production time was longest for CM (156.45 days), while HM (37.44 days) and DM (33.57 days) were significantly faster. HM and DM reduced production time and appointments, enhancing RDPs service efficiency in public health. Expanding DMs and HMs may improve access to care for edentulous patients and public health outcomes. The findings support public health policies aimed at increasing access to prosthodontic services and optimizing resource allocation by integrating digital workflows.