Need and effective demand for prosthodontic treatment.

The unmet and met need for prosthodontic services in the United States have been estimated and projected to the year 2000. Based on need-for-treatment estimates within the U.S. population collected by oral examination in 1971 to 1974, some 214.7 million hours of unmet need were estimated. By the year 2000, the projected need is expected to increase to approximately 264.7 million hours (if edentulism is assumed to be zero) or to approximately 293.8 million hours (if prevalence of prosthodontic need is assumed to remain stable). A concomitant rise in effective demand is also expected from 44.7 million hours in 1976 to 1977 to approximately 62.2 million hours in the year 2000. Thus, despite an assumption of declining edentulism, the unmet need for prosthodontic services will remain high.