OBJECTIVES: To explore impairments due to tooth loss and expectations of prosthetic replacements in an urban group and a rural group of patients in Sweden. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were performed on 35 partially edentulous patients from prosthodontic specialist clinics located in an urban area and a rural area in Sweden. The interviews focused on impairments due to tooth loss and expectations of prosthetic restorations. Analysis was made using the grounded theory approach, allowing in-depth investigation of the phenomenon. RESULTS: Functional, aesthetic and social impairments were mentioned, and coping strategies (eg chewing differently and laughing less) and modifications (eg age, time and social setting) of the impairments were described. The rural patient group accepted impairments somewhat better than the urban one. Otherwise, there was only minor difference between the groups. Removable prosthodontic restorations were more acceptable among rural patients. Urban patients insisted more often on implant-based restorations and had higher expectations of longevity. Patients with minor impairments still wanted treatment, based on concerns about the future of their dentition. The interviews themselves generated new thoughts in the patients and were thus considered valuable by the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Impairments due to tooth loss and expectations of prosthetic replacements were expressed in the same way in the rural and urban patient groups. However, in the rural population, there was a higher acceptance of impairments and also of removable prosthetic restorations, whereas the urban population expressed a higher demand for implant-based restorations.