European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

A SURVEY ON PROSTHODONTISTS' PREFERENCE FOR FULL ARCH FIXED IMPLANT SUPPORTED PROSTHESIS IN GUJARAT STATE

Dr. Pakshal Shah*, Dr. Namrata Shah Naidu, Dr. Pranit Bora and Dr. Bhavika Khated

ABSTRACT

The treatment of the completely edentulous patient with complete-arch fixed implant-supported prostheses has been affected by the rapid advancement of materials, designs, and protocols. New materials and treatment procedures have indicated the beginning of a new era in implant dentistry. The purpose of this survey was to evaluate prosthodontists' current preferences for various treatment techniques and materials for full-arch fixed implant-supported prostheses. The research was carried out at K. M. Shah Dental College's Department of Prosthodontics, Crown & Bridge. A survey invitation was sent to Gujarat prosthodontists from September 2020 to February 2021. The online survey included a series of 18 questions about materials, methods, and design preferences for complete-arch fixed implant-supported prostheses. 90 (36%) of the 257 email invites were begun, and 89 (35%) were completed. The majority of responders (86.7%) worked in private practice and had performed less than 5 arches of fixed implant-supported prostheses (44.4%). Nearly half of the respondents (52.2%) chose 6 implants in the maxilla, while the preferred number in the mandible ranged from 4 (34.4%) to 6 (48.9%). Most of them (87.5%) preferred bone-level implant designs, and the plurality was ambivalent on the use of a platform-switched design (66.7%). Two-thirds (64%) preferred that a complete-arch fixed provisional prosthesis should be delivered at the time of surgery. Two-thirds (73.3 %) preferred to make a definitive impression by utilizing rigidly splinted, open-tray copings. While the majority (94.4 %) wanted to build the ultimate maxillary and mandibular prostheses with identical occlusal materials, the specifics of material selection between arches differed substantially. While there are many different protocols, designs, and materials for using a complete-arch fixed implant-supported prosthesis, these findings provide a glimpse of current clinical choices in Gujarat State.

Keywords: Dental Implants, Implant material, Fixed dental prosthesis.