Pre-operative radiographs for dental implants - are selection criteria being followed?

Objectives To determine by anonymous survey whether the active membership of a particular dental society with variable training and clinical experience in dental implant insertion and restoration followed the published selection criteria for the pre-operative radiographic assessment of prospective dental implant osteotomy sites. Design Postal survey. Subjects and methods A postal questionnaire was sent to all professionally active members of the British Society of Periodontology (n = 560) during July 2005. The mailing was repeated in September 2005. Results Four hundred and fifty-nine questionnaires were returned a response rate of 81.5%. One hundred and seventy-nine (39%) respondents were not involved in placing or restoring dental implants and were excluded. Of the remaining 280 (61%), 15 (5%) clinicians limited themselves to placing implants, 85 (30%) limited themselves to restoring implants, while 181 (65%) both placed and restored their own implants. Two hundred and twenty-eight clinicians (80.8%) did not follow UK selection criteria for single sites; 217 clinicians (77.5%) did not follow the criteria for multiple sites. Two hundred and sixty-three clinicians (94%) did not follow USA selection criteria. There were no statistically significant differences in compliance based on clinical experience or the number of implants placed. The only statistically significant difference was as a result of training those clinicians who had attended formal training courses were more likely to comply with published selection criteria. Significant differences also existed between the groups in the specific cross-sectional imaging modalities chosen. Conclusion Over 80% of respondents are not following the UK or USA selection criteria for pre-implant imaging assessment. The results of this survey call into question the clinical relevance, usefulness, or knowledge of existing selection criteria. There is a need for new selection criteria developed by both radiologists and experienced implant clinicians.