The provision of dental implants: current practice among university and hospital specialists in restorative dentistry within the UK and Ireland

Objectives To establish current implant practice among university and hospital restorative dental specialists in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland and their opinions relating to criteria for implant treatment. Materials and methods An online questionnaire was distributed to 150 university and hospital restorative dental specialists in the UK and Ireland. Results The response rate was 27%. Twenty-nine (70%) respondents provided implant treatment, of which 76% and 100% placed and restored implants respectively. In addition, 79% worked with oral surgeons or oral and maxillofacial surgeons as part of the implant team. Hypodontia and malignancy were cited as the main groups that qualified for NHS dental implant treatment. Irradiation, smoking and bisphosphonates were considered the most important medical factors in patient selection for implant placement, while untreated periodontitis, poor oral hygiene and uncontrolled caries were the most important dental factors. Conclusions The majority of responding university and hospital restorative dental specialists within the UK and Ireland provide dental implant treatment and undertake a multidisciplinary approach where necessary. There is variation in the number of patients treated with implants by each respondent annually. The main patient groups that receive priority for NHS dental implant treatment are malignancy and hypodontia. Otherwise, there is general agreement about the factors considered important when selecting patients for implant treatment on the NHS and this aligns to the Royal College of Surgeons guidelines on selecting patients for the provision of dental implants.