Background: As dental implants become a more popular treatment option for restoring missing teeth, it is significant for a dentist to understand patients' level of knowledge toward implants, to avoid potential miscommunication and unrealistic expectations.
Objectives: To determine the knowledge level regarding dental implants among patients applying for prosthetic treatment.
Material and methods: The study was conducted among patients from the Department of Prosthetic Dentistry at Wroclaw Medical University, Poland. A questionnaire composed of 11 questions was distributed to 232 patients, of which 225 were qualified for the study. The chi-square test of independence (χ2) was used to analyze the association between parameters of interest and groups of patients. The strength of studied relationships was measured with Cramer's V.
Results: Patients showed limited knowledge of implants. Of the respondents, 75.6% heard about dental implants; however, 40% considered the dental implant as a set of a screw with a fixed crown. The major concern was the high cost (69.4%), followed by the need for surgery (31.2%). The Internet was the most popular source of information. The source of treatment financing has a strong correlation to the willingness to undergo treatment.
Conclusion: The study group demonstrated not a satisfactory extent of knowledge regarding dental implants. Dental professionals should make an effort to provide sufficient information to patients to avoid misunderstandings about the treatment. Measures should be taken to reduce the cost of the procedure and thus increase its availability.
Keywords: dental implants; patient knowledge; prosthetic treatment.