title: Dental implants from the patients perspective: transition from tooth loss, through amputation to implants - negative and positive trajectories.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to explore patients' expectations on and experiences from dental implant treatment through deep-interview technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative study design was chosen and 17 patients were interviewed by open-ended questions. All patients in the study had a previous history of periodontal disease with, in most cases, many years of treatment. The interviews were transcribed; a coding process was used according to qualitative conventional content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the analysis, a core category was identified as "Transition from tooth loss, to 'Amputation', and to implants - negative and positive trajectories". When the patients faced the fact that it was not possible to keep the teeth any longer, a period of fear, shame and denial, which also affected their social life negatively followed. After they received their implants and the chewing ability and appearance became better, it also improved their quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment with dental implants improved function, enhanced self-esteem, social life and, thus quality of life. In clinical practice, information about dental implants and motivational strategies are needed during the period before getting dental implants. Follow-up is important thereafter, capturing both the pros and cons with implants.
authors.affiliation: Division of Periodontology, Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden. annsofi.johannsen@ki.se
authors.forename: Annsofi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Johannsen
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Westergren
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Johannsen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003221:Confusion / Q000523:psychology; D003717:Denial, Psychological; D015921:Dental Implants / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology*; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005639:Frustration; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008409:Mastication / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D012752:Shame; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000523:psychology*; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants