Representative marketing‐oriented study on implants in the Austrian population. II. Implant acceptance, patient‐perceived cost and patient satisfaction

Abstract

Oral implantology is an established subspecialty of restorative dental and oral surgery. While an extensive body of evidence on the fundamentals of osseointegration and associated factors has been published, marketing-oriented analyses based on representative public opinion polls of implant acceptance, patient-perceived cost and patient satisfaction are scarce. In this study, an attempt was made to address these points by questioning a representative sample of 1000 adults in the household setting. The interviewees were presented with 14 questions. Of those familiar with implants as one of the treatment alternatives, 61% reported they would accept implants if the need arose. Implant acceptance was highest among males and interviewees below the age of 30 years. The interest in implants increased with increasing family incomes. Four percent of those questioned already had implants. Twenty-five percent knew someone who had undergone implant treatment. All those questioned found implant-supported rehabilitation to be very expensive. Many of them blamed the dentists for the high cost. One detail was particularly evident: satisfaction among implanted patients was clearly higher than satisfaction rates perceived by them from what they were told about implants by others. First-hand experiences with implants proved to be less biased than reported second-hand information.

Patients’ Knowledge and Perceived Barriers toward Replacement of Missing Teeth among Respondents of Hail City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

“…According to a study by Tepper et al 17 costs were one of the most important factors for not choosing dental replacement, especially for implant treatment option, which somehow is similar to the findings of present study. The majority of the participants reported the source of information regarding the various options for the replacement of missing teeth came directly from the dentist (70%) as compared with other sources (37%), such as Internet and mass media.…”

The patients' satisfaction following implant treatment

“…Treatment costs and comparative economic analyses are increasingly the subjects of discussion in the dental literature. [17][18][19][20][21] Pjetursson et al 8 reported in his study that the costs associated with implant therapy in Switzerland were considered to be justified, while Tepper et al 30 described the implantsupported rehabilitation to be very expensive in Austria. The goals of our study were to investigate patients' assessments of and satisfaction with the treatment outcomes and to consider the cost-effectiveness of the applied treatment options.…”

Attitude of partial denture wearers towards implant treatment and its association with oral hygiene status, age, gender and extent of edentulousness – A cross sectional study

“…Cost of treatment seemed to be the most deciding factor in majority. In a study conducted by [20] . to assess implant acceptance, patient perceived cost and patient satisfaction in Austrian population, it was observed that interest in implants increases with increase in family income.…”