Decision-Making in Implantology—A Cross-Sectional Vignette-Based Study to Determine Clinical Treatment Routines for the Edentulous Atrophic Mandible

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the influence of possible factors in the patient history on decision making in the therapy for a severely atrophied edentulous mandible. A vignette-based survey among 250 maxillofacial and oral surgeons was conducted. Determinants that could influence the therapy decision were patient age, smoking, fear of surgery, and radiotherapy in the head and neck area (the implant region is not in the direct radiation area). To achieve a suitable implant site, the options offered to the surgeons were bone split, bone block, augmentation with bone substitute material, and bone resection. There also was the option of rejecting any therapy. The response rate was 47%. Patient age, radiotherapy, and fear of surgery did not influence the approval of a therapy. Smoking was associated with a significantly lower endorsement of a treatment. Resection was preferred by a large majority to all other forms of therapy, regardless of the four determinants. Surgeons tend to refrain from bone block transplants in older patients. In summary, it can be said that, of the four determinants, only smoking influenced treatment refusal. Bone resection is the preferred therapy independent of all determinants.