Awareness and knowledge of the general public at southern region of Saudi Arabia regarding dental implants

Abstract

Aims: To assess the awareness, knowledge, and information sources regarding dental implants as an option of treatment to replace missing teeth among patients in Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods: The current study consisted of 14 questions used to assess the patients' awareness, expectations and level of knowledge of dental implants. Three categories of questions were used, with the first one related to the patients' knowledge and options for replacement of missing teeth, the second about dental implants and their providers, and the third on the techniques, materials, care, and durability of dental implants. The collected data was analyzed using Chi-square tests, and P values less than 0.005 were considered significant. Results: A total of 380 subjects were divided into two groups, medical (40.3%) or non-medical (59.7%) related. We found that 85% and 71.0% of the medical and non-medical subjects, respectively know the importance of replacement of missing teeth, while 50% had known the different types of dental implants with no significance (P< .001) between the two groups. Dentists were the sources of the information (43.3% and 34.8% for the medical and non-medical groups respectively). Around 50% of the medical subjects thought that dental implants came with a screw compared with 36.6% of non-medical subjects with value of P .025. In total, 60%-70% of respondents from both groups answered that dental implants should be provided by specialists only. Around 29% of all patients cited "lifetime" as the survival period of implants. Also, 52%-77% of the respondents related the implant site to the "the jaw bone," with significant difference of P .000. Conclusions: The awareness and knowledge of the subjects were acceptable with higher percentage among respondents in the medical group. Dentists followed by friends were the main sources of information for dental implants. Dental implants are considered as the best choice for replacement of missing teeth with excellent durability and need of much more special care than natural teeth.

Knowledge and awareness of dental implants among Syrian refugees: a cross sectional study in Zaatari camp

“…This percentage of those interviewed who cited the jawbone as the host site for implants compares poorly with previously reported results (61%) [ 23 ] as do results on aftercare for dental implants: those thinking implants required less care being 31.2% compared to 4.0–13.5% [ 24 , 45 ]. However, the percentage of participants who could not describe dental implants correctly is comparable to those reported previously [ 46 ].…”

“…Nevertheless, this problem can be addressed by providing interviewers the necessary training and practice, to ensure that they are collecting the data without introducing bias, and do not, through their words or actions, unintentionally influence respondents to answer in a specific way [ 51 ]. In this study, information was collected on 20 items, which exceeded the number of items covered in most other surveys, considering age, gender and education as distinguishing factor [ 23 , 40 , 41 , 46 , 48 ].…”

Assessment of Current Knowledge, Awareness and Attitude Towards Dental Implants as a Treatment Option for Replacement of Missing Teeth in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

“…When asked about the material of dental implants, a significant number of participants (63.4%) admitted to a lack of knowledge, and 15.1% answered ceramics (7.4%), stainless steel (9.6%), and porcelain (4.5%). 29.6% of the respondents don't know the dental professionals who are most qualified to perform such procedures; this finding is in contrast with one of the research studies done by Kinani et al in Jazan Province of Saudi Arabia [15], where the majority of the respondents said that only specialists can place dental implants. Furthermore, the participants also failed to answer questions regarding the longevity of dental implants, highlighting a need for dental professionals to educate the general public regarding the technical, surgical, and general knowledge of dental implants [15].…”

“…29.6% of the respondents don't know the dental professionals who are most qualified to perform such procedures; this finding is in contrast with one of the research studies done by Kinani et al in Jazan Province of Saudi Arabia [15], where the majority of the respondents said that only specialists can place dental implants. Furthermore, the participants also failed to answer questions regarding the longevity of dental implants, highlighting a need for dental professionals to educate the general public regarding the technical, surgical, and general knowledge of dental implants [15]. It is well noted that the long-term success of dental implants depends highly on maintaining healthy tissue around the implants.…”

“…The peri-implant disease can be avoided with proper dental hygiene practices, such as using soft toothbrushes, interproximal brushes, hard plastic cleaning tools, and mouth rinses. The current study population (60.5%) agreed that dental implants require more special care and hygiene as compared to natural teeth [15]. The vast majority of the general public agreed that replacing missing teeth is critical.…”