ArticleBDJ open2026
Confidence of primary care dental practitioners in the assessment, referral and maintenance of dental implants: a cross-sectional survey in Yorkshire.
Article in BDJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
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Abstract
introductionDental implants are becoming more common in the UK, but the confidence of primary care practitioners in assessing, maintaining, and referring patients with implants is uncertain. Many implant patients struggle to access proper dental care. This study examined the confidence of general dental practitioners (GDPs) in the Yorkshire and Humber region regarding the management of implant patients within the NHS.
methodsAn electronic survey was developed in collaboration with dental clinicians and approved by local dental networks. It included a five-point Likert scale assessing confidence in three clinical scenarios related to implants, alongside twelve yes/no questions about maintenance, referral pathways, and recognition of complications. Thirty-five GDPs completed the survey from January to March 2026.
resultsA total of 35 dental practitioners completed the survey out of a potential 310. All respondents were working in primary care settings in Yorkshire and the Humber at the time of data collection. Respondents reported low confidence across all assessment scenarios, particularly for painful sites (mean 2.29) and those with bleeding (mean 2.37), with over 60% scoring 1 or 2 out of 5. The highest confidence was in oral hygiene instruction (62.9%), while confidence in procedural tasks was low, such as replacing Locator inserts (14.3%) and recognizing mechanical complications (e.g., abutment screw fracture at 20.6%). Only 28.6% were confident in appropriate NHS referrals.
conclusionsThere is potential for a significant gap in the confidence of primary care dental practitioners in Yorkshire and the Humber regarding implant care. This requires broader exploration with a wider sample to characterise trends. Nonetheless our findings underscore the need for targeted education, clearer referral pathways, and structured maintenance protocols to enhance GDPs' ability to provide safe implant aftercare.
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