Knowledge, attitude and practices of non guided and guided implant placement among dental professionals

Abstract

Background: When a person loses a tooth for any cause, dental implants are placed to replace the missing teeth. Achieving successful osseointegration necessitates a technique that minimizes surgical difficulties, which is one of the main attributes that establish implants as a dependable alternative. There are two primary methods for implant placement: manual implantation and implantation using a surgical guide. According to some researchers, implant placement with a surgical guide is more precise than with other techniques. Some have countered that although dental implants have a high accuracy rate when employing a surgical guide, the precision of free-hand implant surgery has shown adequate and acceptable in the majority of clinical settings. Therefore, weighing the benefits and drawbacks of each strategy can assist clinicians. The purpose of this study was to assess knowledge, attitude and practices of non guided and guided implant placement among dental professionals in India. Material and methods: The present cross sectional web based questionnaire study was conducted among 300 practicing dental professionals in India between dec 2022 and November 2023. The pre tested questionnaire included items on demographic details, placement of implants on regular basis, the system used, knowledge of CBCT imaging, surgical guides and complications of guided and non guided implant placement. The data collected was analysed by applying descriptive statistics. Result: The present study reported reduced postoperative morbidity in terms of swelling, pain, and bleeding with guided implant placement compared to the freehand approach. One limitation that could be noted from the included studies was the differences in the operators’ clinical experience and skill set. Another limitation was a low number of quality studies comparing guided to freehand implants. Therefore, proper case selection and surgical execution could contribute to these differences. Conclusion: Once an implant is placed, the outcome of its placement is dependent on distinct clinical and radiographic parameters that determine the implant’s success or survival. A good implant survival rate was achieved using both guided and free-hand implant placement procedures based on different variables that included demographic data, working environment, single versus multiple implant placement and the practitioners experience.

Keywords: dental implant, prosthetic-driven, implant placement