A survey of dentists practicing implant dentistry in Israel.
Due to the increasing interest in the field of implant dentistry, a first survey of dentists in Israel who used implants was conducted. Out of a total of 312 dentists questioned, 97 reported using dental implants in their practice. In spite of the team approach advocated in the literature, 40% of the dentists in the survey conducted both the surgical and the prosthetic phases of treatment. Over 60% of the respondents had less than 3 years' experience in the field, which is in keeping with the worldwide trend. A smaller number than expected regarded red gingival color and bone resorption based on radiographic findings as grounds for implant failure. In the view of at least 10 respondents, pain, discomfort, exudate, and fistulization did not indicate unsuccessful implants. A disparity was revealed between the dentists' practice methods and their hypothetical choice of self-treatment. Although the Core-Vent method was the most widely employed, only 50% of those using this system preferred it for themselves. Even fewer (25%) of those using blade implants considered it their self-treatment of choice. In contrast, although only 10% of the dentists had used the Branemark method, 30% preferred it for their own treatment.