Knowledge, attitude, and practice of dental implants among dentists in Hyderabad city, Telangana: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Implants have emerged as a successful treatment option for the replacement of lost teeth. As dentists are the important source of information regarding implants, their knowledge and understanding of treatment options have a beneficial impact on patients' choice of treatments. The aim of the study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of dental implants among dental postgraduates and practitioners in Hyderabad city, Telangana.

Materials and methods: Out of total 599 samples, 286 were dental postgraduates and 313 were practitioners. A self-administered validated 27-item questionnaire containing demographic details and knowledge, attitude, and practice-based questions was used to collect the data through Google Forms or personal interview. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software version 20.

Results: The mean knowledge scores were notably higher among elderly dentists (7.69 ± 1.6), with over a decade of experience (7.8 ± 1.52) and had undergone implant training (8.07 ± 1.36). The majority of elderly dentists (89.7%) and with over 10 years of experience (89.4%) exhibited a positive attitude toward dental implants. Moreover, a significant proportion of elderly dentists (51.6%) and with more than 10 years of experience (62.6%), as well as institutional-based practitioners (60%) and who received implant training (76.4%), felt that they are competent enough to place implants significantly.

Conclusion: Majority of subjects had knowledge on the various aspects of dental implants and preferred dental implants over removable partial denture or fixed partial denture (RPD/FPD). Mean knowledge level significantly increased with age, experience, and exposure to training. Dentist practice levels were significantly influenced by age, gender, experience, qualification, and implant training.

Keywords: Dental implants; dental practitioners; edentulous; implant training; postgraduates.