Trends in implant dentistry among private dental practitioners of Gujarat: A survey

Abstract

Objective: The objectives of this survey were to determine the attitude of private dental practitioners (PDPs) toward implant dentistry and how they were acquiring and integrating the knowledge of implant dentistry into their everyday practice. Materials and Methods: A postal questionnaire, of a closed response format, in a reply-paid envelope was sent to 150 private dental clinics of five different regions of Gujarat state. Returned responses were subjected to descriptive analysis. Results: The results indicated that 95.91% of the surveyed dentists offered implants as a treatment option to their patients, but only 30.61% of surveyed dentists chose to actively practice Implant Dentistry themselves. The remaining PDPs chose to call consultants or refer the patients for the management of such cases. With the increasing popularity of courses in osseointegrated implants, a large number of PDPs are getting inclined toward Implant Dentistry.Conclusion: From this survey, it can be concluded that as the number of PDPs doing implants are rising, there is a parallel need to organize continuing dental education programs to create awareness related to various aspects of implant dentistry.