Maintaining peri-implant health: An evaluation of understanding amongst dental professionals

Chin, Jann Siew 2018. Maintaining peri-implant health: An evaluation of understanding amongst dental professionals. MPhil Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Background: The amount of teaching of dental implants between individual dental schools is variable. The General Dental Council expects dentists, dental therapists and hygienists (DH/Ts) to be competent at maintaining peri-implant health. With more implants being placed and a rising incidence of peri-implantitis, dentists and DH/Ts will be exposed to the issue of implant maintenance. Objective: This study aims to assess the current status of dental implant teaching within dental undergraduate and dental hygiene and therapy schools (DHTS) in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland; the confidence levels of DH/Ts within Wales regarding the management of peri-implant health and their opinions about implant education and current implant practice amongst university and hospital restorative dental specialists in the UK and Ireland. Materials and Methods: Online questionnaires were distributed to (i) 18 dental undergraduate schools and 23 DHTS in the UK and Ireland (ii) 257 DH/Ts within Wales and (iii) 150 university and hospital restorative dental specialists in the UK and Ireland. Summary: All responding dental undergraduate schools and DHTS provided implant training for their students. There was significant improvement in the amount of implant education across dental undergraduate schools since previous surveys however direct clinical experience remained low in restoring (31%) and placing (6%) dental implants. The majority of DHTS provided direct clinical experience in peri-implant maintenance although not every student received this experience. In 64% of schools, students gained clinical experience in the management of peri-implantitis. The main barriers to developing the implant programme for dental undergraduate schools and DHTS were funding and lack of suitable cases. Results from the survey of DH/Ts within Wales indicated that dental implant care was within the remit of XI I service for 92% of respondents. A high proportion of DH/Ts in Wales did not feel entirely confident in carrying out procedures relating to peri-implant maintenance and only 27% felt confident in clinically assessing dental implants. The majority (83%) felt that postgraduate training in peri-implant maintenance should be obligatory. Out of the sample of university and hospital restorative dental specialists that responded, 70% indicated that they provided implant treatment and there was a significant variation in the amount of implant treatment provided. 79% worked with oral surgeons or oral and maxillofacial surgeons as an implant team. There was general agreement by specialists on the factors that may contra-indicate implant placement. Irradiation and smoking were considered the most important medical factors in patient selection for implant placement whilst untreated periodontitis and poor oral hygiene were the most important dental factors. In conclusion, there has been an increase in the amount of implant education across DHTS and dental undergraduate schools however there remains the concern that the level of education does not satisfactorily address the needs required for general practice.

Item Type:	Thesis (MPhil)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Dentistry
Subjects:	Q Science > Q Science (General) R Medicine > RK Dentistry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	undergraduate education; peri-implant disease; implant dentistry; dental professionals; knowledge; survey
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	11 May 2018
Last Modified:	18 Aug 2021 15:28
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/111388

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