A study of 184 consecutive patients referred for single-tooth replacement

The aim of this investigation was to study the acceptance and the rejection of patients referred for single implant restorations based on data from referral, case history, clinical examination and therapy planning. The referrals comprised 184 patients with 251 missing single teeth. Sixty-four per cent of the referred patients were accepted for treatment. There was a difference in acceptance between men and women (75% and 54%, respectively). A negative relationship was noticed between age and acceptance. External trauma (33%), root fractures (16%) and congenitally missing teeth (15%) were the main reasons for lost or missing teeth. Anatomical limitations was the most frequent reason for rejection (76%). Most fillings and crowns on adjacent teeth to the edentulous space did not serve as a contraindication for an implant single-tooth restoration, and thus extensive fillings or not acceptable crowns was the cause of rejection only for a minor group (13%). The great majority of the partially dentate patients showed a very high interest in treatment with single-tooth implants, but some of the patients (4% in all, 11% of those rejected for treatment) did not want implant treatment after having received further information at the specialist clinic.