Provision of information to patients on dental implant treatment: Clinicians’ perspectives on the current approaches and future strategies

Objectives: To explore 1) the approaches that are adopted by clinicians to give patients information in relation to dental implant treatment during clinical consultations; 2) clinicians’ reflections on their current practices of implant information provision; and 3) clinicians’ suggestions to improve future implant information provision. Methods: A qualitative study employing face-to-face semi-structured interviews with eight clinicians working in UK secondary dental care. The data gathering and analysis followed the principles of qualitative thematic analysis. Results: Clinicians reported that patients often hold misconceptions about dental implants, which are commonly acquired from generic information sources such as the media. This might be linked to high expectations regarding treatment outcomes and difficulties in communicating during clinical consultations. Clinicians were sometimes reluctant to voluntarily offer information about the longevity/ lifespan of implant supported restoration (ISR) and they had different opinions regarding the timing of information related to their long-term maintenance needs. Several strategies for improving the current practice of information giving in relation to dental implant treatment were suggested by clinicians. Conclusion: Providing accurate and timely information to patients could be challenging, although clinicians recognised the importance of doing so. As clinicians explained and debated their current approaches and reflected on their practices, they identified areas of potential improvement and ways to improve information provision related to dental implants. These were mainly focused on transforming patient care so that there is efficient co-operative alliance between patients and dental care providers. Considering upgrading information provision throughout the implant treatment pathway would transform this aspect of healthcare to make it more “patient-centred” than it is currently.