Decision-Making in Implantology—A Cross-Sectional Vignette-Based Study to Determine Clinical Treatment Routines for the Edentulous Atrophic Mandible

Michael Korsch, Winfried Walther, Bernt-Peter Robra, Aynur Sahin, Matthias Hannig and Andreas Bartols
Additional contact information
Michael Korsch: Dental Academy for Continuing Professional Development, Karlsruhe, Lorenzstrasse 7, 76135 Karlsruhe, Germany
Winfried Walther: Dental Academy for Continuing Professional Development, Karlsruhe, Lorenzstrasse 7, 76135 Karlsruhe, Germany
Bernt-Peter Robra: Institute of Social Medicine and Health Services Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
Aynur Sahin: Private Practice, Blumenstrasse 5, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
Matthias Hannig: Clinic of Operative Dentistry, Periodontology and Preventive Dentistry, University Hospital, Saarland University, Building 73, 66421 Homburg, Germany
Andreas Bartols: Dental Academy for Continuing Professional Development, Karlsruhe, Lorenzstrasse 7, 76135 Karlsruhe, Germany

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-14

Abstract: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the influence of possible factors in the patient history on decision making in the therapy for a severely atrophied edentulous mandible. A vignette-based survey among 250 maxillofacial and oral surgeons was conducted. Determinants that could influence the therapy decision were patient age, smoking, fear of surgery, and radiotherapy in the head and neck area (the implant region is not in the direct radiation area). To achieve a suitable implant site, the options offered to the surgeons were bone split, bone block, augmentation with bone substitute material, and bone resection. There also was the option of rejecting any therapy. The response rate was 47%. Patient age, radiotherapy, and fear of surgery did not influence the approval of a therapy. Smoking was associated with a significantly lower endorsement of a treatment. Resection was preferred by a large majority to all other forms of therapy, regardless of the four determinants. Surgeons tend to refrain from bone block transplants in older patients. In summary, it can be said that, of the four determinants, only smoking influenced treatment refusal. Bone resection is the preferred therapy independent of all determinants.

Keywords: dental implant; specialists; oral surgeon; maxillofacial surgeon; pre-implantological treatment; bone augmentation; bone resection; edentulous mandible (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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