Patients' perspectives on dental implant and bone graft surgery: questionnaire-based interview survey.
OBJECTIVE
To assess up-to-date expectations and preferences of patients seeking dental implants.


METHODS
One hundred and fifty consecutive patients (66 male and 84 female interviewees) were asked to rank their concerns regarding implant therapy and answer a questionnaire on implant and bone graft surgery, cost and time considerations and second-opinion behaviour.


RESULTS
Treatment predictability and avoidance of removable dentures were ranked high priority (compared with time and cost efficiency or avoidance of bone grafts). Patients' estimation of the 10-year implant success rate was 84%, and 59% of patients expected implants to last for a lifetime. Total treatment time was estimated to be 4 months on average, and only 12% would tolerate increased risk of implant failure for the sake of shortening treatment duration. 61% of interviewees accepted autologous bone grafts (the majority favouring the retromolar area), while only 23% were willing to undergo bone harvesting from the hip. 43% opted for bone substitute material to avoid donor site morbidity. 67% would accept the additional costs associated with computed tomography, software-based treatment planning and guided implant placement to avoid bone graft surgery. Motivation for second-opinion seeking was high (46-62%), especially in young and male patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Patient expectations on implant success and predictability are high compared with their reluctance towards treatment costs and duration. Acceptance of treatment morbidity is high among patients reporting low denture satisfaction; however, minimally invasive treatment alternatives are generally preferred.
Department of Oral Surgery, Vienna Medical University, Vienna, Austria.
Markus
M
Hof
Gabor
G
Tepper
Besnik
B
Semo
Christoph
C
Arnhart
Georg
G
Watzek
Bernhard
B
Pommer
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000540:Alveolar Ridge Augmentation / Q000523:psychology*; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous / Q000523:psychology*; D015921:Dental Implants / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057240:Patient Preference; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015921:Dental Implants