Barriers Related to Dental Implant Treatment Acceptance by Patients

Dental implants present a viable treatment option for the replacement of partial and full edentulism. Since their initial creation in the 1960s, implants have proceeded to become popular among both patients and dental practitioners due to their high success and survival rates. Despite the promising results, there remains some patient hesitation toward the acceptance of implant treatment. This hesitance mainly stems from four key factors that have greatly influenced patient decision-making: financial barriers, awareness and cultural sensitivity issues, treatment timespan, and the varying possible complications. Financial barriers generally arise from the lack of insurance benefits for the surgical aspect of treatment and the differing socioeconomic statuses of the patient population. Though dental implants have become more widespread, public knowledge of the matter is still insufficient. Patients may have altered conceptions of the procedure due to insufficiently credible information sources. In addition, dental practitioners need to consider the cultural restrictions that may be existent for some patients. The long timespan of the dental implant treatment, including healing time, may result in some patients opting for fixed or removable prostheses, which have comparatively shorter treatment spans. Biomechanical overload, infection, and inflammation are varying types of complications that alter osseointegration, ultimately leading to many complications, such as peri-implantitis. These universal barriers may hinder patient acceptance of implant treatment. However, as dental health care professionals, it is important to understand this hesitance and help mitigate these obstacles through patient education and continual reassurance and support.