Patients' Awareness, Trust, and Acceptance of Robot-Assisted Dental Implant Surgery: A Cross-Sectional Survey

To investigate patients' awareness, trust, and acceptance of robot-assisted dental implant surgery in South China, identify the influencing factors, and evaluate the opportunities and challenges to clinical use.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted from November 2024 to August 2025 in three public hospitals in South China. Electronic questionnaires were distributed to patients who had or were scheduled to undergo implant surgery or were considering dental implant treatment. Participants were assigned to Questionnaire A (patients who underwent robot-assisted implantation) or Questionnaire B (patients without such experience). The questionnaire covered the demographic characteristics, awareness level, trust, acceptance, and experience of those treated with robot assistance.

Three hundred and ninety six valid questionnaires were administered. Among these, 26.51% accepted robot-assisted implants, 27.78% rejected, and 45.70% were uncertain. In the inexperienced group (n = 382), 61.00% expressed distrust, which was associated with the age, humanistic care, safety, and emergency capabilities of the new technique. In the experienced group (n = 14), 78.60% of patients expressed their willingness to undergo robotic surgery again. The regression analysis revealed that preoperative information negatively affected satisfaction (β = -0.239, p = 0.019), whereas intraoperative experience exhibited a positive effect (β = 0.268, p = 0.014).

Patients in South China demonstrated limited awareness of robot-assisted dental implant surgery. Trust was mainly influenced by demographics and safety perceptions, whereas satisfaction relied on intraoperative experiences and recovery. The promotion of robot-assisted implant technology should emphasize technical reliability, doctor-patient communication, improved patient experience, and tailored management for different groups.