Clinician perspectives on implementation of digitally fabricated complete dentures: A national survey of prosthodontists

Ingeborg J De Kok; Christine C Redmond; Jane A Weintraub; Wendy A Clark

doi:10.1016/j.prosdent.2023.03.023

Clinician perspectives on implementation of digitally fabricated complete dentures: A national survey of prosthodontists

J Prosthet Dent. 2023 Apr 25:S0022-3913(23)00189-0. doi: 10.1016/j.prosdent.2023.03.023. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ingeborg J De Kok¹, Christine C Redmond², Jane A Weintraub³, Wendy A Clark⁴

Affiliations

¹ Professor, Division of Comprehensive Oral Health, Adams School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
² Private practice, Portland, Ore.
³ R. Gary Rozier and Chester W. Douglass Distinguished Professor, Division of Pediatric and Public Health, Adams School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
⁴ Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Comprehensive Oral Health, Adams School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC. Electronic address: waclark@unc.edu.

PMID: 37105823
DOI: 10.1016/j.prosdent.2023.03.023

Abstract

Statement of problem: Research on implementation factors for digitally fabricated complete dentures is sparse.

Purpose: The purpose of this survey of prosthodontists was to explore the current usage of conventionally and digitally fabricated complete dentures and to identify factors that may impact their use.

Material and methods: A confidential cross-sectional survey consisting of 20 questions was conducted in 2019 using the Qualtrics Research Suite. The survey was distributed via electronic mail to all 1820 members of the American College of Prosthodontics. Frequency distributions, chi-squared tests, and Fisher exact tests were used to analyze the data and compare subgroups (α=.05).

Results: The response rate was 16.8% (N=305). A total of 31.5% of respondents were implementing digitally fabricated complete dentures, 36.6% were interested in learning and/or incorporating them, 37.7% reported that they had not tried them, and 12.7% had tried them but were not interested in using them again. When asked which factors were important when considering the implementation of digitally fabricated complete dentures, 55.8% indicated laboratory costs, 72.1% total chair time spent, and 81.9% patient satisfaction. Prosthodontists who graduated from dental school after about 1991 were more interested in learning about and incorporating digitally fabricated complete dentures than earlier graduates (P=.02).

Conclusions: The survey results indicate that prosthodontists are implementing digitally fabricated complete dentures in clinical practice but not at the rate that might be expected of a technology that has been available for nearly a decade. Factors reported to matter in the decision to implement this technology were decreased time, overall cost, and improved patient satisfaction.