Awareness, attitude, and knowledge of dental patients regarding dental implant treatment in an urban population: a cross-sectional study in Turkey

Introduction
Nowadays, the popularity of implant dentistry is increasing among a wide population, but the decision for, and the success of, dental implant treatment depends on the knowledge and expectations of patients.

Objectives
The goal of this study is to show public awareness and knowledge of oral implants.

Material and methods
A standardised questionnaire with 18 questions was carried out in 314 males and 230 females in the Department of Maxillofacial Radiology, Dental Science Centre, Gulhane Military Medical Academy. Descriptive statistics was used for the analysis.

Results
In total 544 patients responded the survey. Only 6.9% of the participants had never heard of dental implants (n = 37). Another 36 participants could not describe dental implants. 22.8% of the 544 respondents reported that dental implants required the same care as natural teeth. The major reason of rejection of the implant treatment was reported as its high cost. In addition, the respondents thought that the main factor of implant failure was bad oral hygiene or faulty production of dental implants. Internet, TV, or newspapers were the main source of information about dental implants for 57.7% (n = 314) of the participants.

Conclusions
This survey showed an acceptable level of awareness about dental implant treatment, but it also showed the need to provide more information to the patients about this treatment modality.