Platform Switching In Dental Implants Among Dental Students -Knowledge and Awareness based survey

INTRODUCTION:Platform switching is a relatively new idea in implant dentistry for minimising circumferential bone loss around dental implants by managing postrestorativecrestal bone levels.The platform swapping idea entails the use of prosthetic components with a platform diameter that is smaller than the implant platform diameter. AIM: The aim of this study is to assess the level of awareness on platform switching in implants among dental students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A set of 11 questions were formulated as a questionnaire and distributed among the study. The participants were asked to fill the questionnaire. The survey was done in an online forum. A total of 150 validated entries were collected. Data was entered into Microsoft Excel 2007 and analysed in SPSS V20. Associations between categorical variables were determined using Chi-square. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS:33 out of 40 PG students think that platform switching approach should be applied clinically for the overall success of dental implants. 25 out of 40 PG students were agreeing that platform switching in implant reduces crestal bone loss. 64% of the participants think that platform switching in implant reduces crystal bone loss thereby increasing implant longevity. CONCLUSION:Majority of the post graduate students were aware of platform switching in implant but most of the undergraduate students were not aware and not sure of platform switching and their benefits in implant. Thus knowledge and awareness on platform switching in implants should be established among undergraduate dental students