Collaborative Decision-Making in Implant Abutment Selection: Perspectives of Dentists and Dental Technicians in a...

Aim: To investigate implant abutment selection practices among dentists and dental laboratory technicians, with particular emphasis on factors influencing abutment selection, communication, collaborative decision-making, and reported implant abutment-related complications. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among dentists involved in implant prosthodontics and dental laboratory technicians. The questionnaire assessed factors influencing implant abutment selection, communication practices, collaborative decision-making, and self-reported complications. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and associations between categorical variables were evaluated using the Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact test when appropriate. Results: A total of 144 eligible participants (101 dentists and 43 dental technicians) were included. Among dentists, the most frequently reported factors influencing implant abutment selection were implant position and angulation (97.0%), inter-occlusal space (82.2%), aesthetic requirements (78.2%), and soft tissue thickness and contour (78.2%). Most dentists reported providing clear written or verbal instructions to dental technicians, while most technicians reported supporting dentists in abutment selection and initiating communication when the selected abutment was considered inappropriate. No statistically significant associations were observed between communication-related variables and dentists' reported clinical complications or technicians' perceptions of work-related problems due to poor communication (p = 0.870 and p = 0.420, respectively). However, technicians who preferred collaborative decision-making were significantly more likely to report taking the initiative to communicate with dentists regarding inappropriate abutment selection (Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact test, p = 0.040). Conclusions: Selection of implant abutment was primarily directed by both clinical and prosthetic considerations. Dentists and technicians preferred collaborative decision-making, even though no statistically significant association was noticed between communication and self-reported complications. Further studies with greater representative samples and objective clinical outcomes are necessary.