What Factors May Influence a Clinician's Choice for an Implant System for Their Patients?

Background: Clinicians have to decide which implant system to use for their patients. Factors influencing a clinician's choice of a specific implant are not well-established.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify factors that may influence clinician's choice of implant.

Study Design, Setting, Sample: This cross-sectional study used a survey instrument that was sent to dentists. Inclusion criteria included if the doctor's name was the addressee and if their website indicated they utilize implants. Exclusion criteria included if the email address was directed to individuals other than the clinician or if the respondent does not place implants as indicated by their website.

Predictor Variable: The predictor variable was the provider type (oral and maxillofacial surgeon, general dentist, prosthodontist, or periodontist).

Main Outcome Variable: The outcome variables were factors that may influence clinician's choice of implants, measured by their ranked responses.

Covariates: Age and sex were the covariates.

Analyses: The survey data were evaluated as group in total and separated for each provider type. Factors affecting clinical choice were ranked. A mean score was determined. Responses were evaluated using analysis of variance with significance at P value < .05 to determine if there were differences among the groups.

Results: After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, the final study sample consisted of 353 clinicians, of whom 230 (65.1%) responded to the survey. Factors scored as extremely or somewhat important were ranked from high to low as follows: clinical trial evidence (92%), ease of use (88%), familiarity with system (73%), restorative dentist's preference (72%), cost (63%), sales representative (59%), key opinion leader (66%), a laboratory's preference (45%), implant company providing continuing education (66%), and implant company can grow practice (65%). There were differences among providers for the factors that influence choice of implant for cost (P value = .02), sales representative (P value = .015), the key opinion leader (P value = .01), laboratory preference (P value = .002), providing continuing education (P value = .02), and implant company can grow my practice (P value = .035).

Conclusion And Relevance: Four factors that highly influenced provider's choice of a specific implant were evidence for success, ease of use, cost, and familiarity with the implant.