Measuring the awareness levels of dentists on bone graft and membrane application methods

Introduction and Aim: In this study, it was aimed to measure the awareness levels of dentists in bone graft and membrane application methods. Materials and Methods: A total of 363 dentists, 208 (57.3%) male and 155 (42.7%) female, aged between 22-68 were included in this study. Questionnaire method was used to determine the awareness levels of dentists in bone graft and membrane application methods. The first six questions of the questionnaire consist of questions to determine the demographic characteristics of dentists, and the remaining 15 questions consist of questions to determine the awareness levels of dentists in bone graft and membrane application methods. Results: It was determined that 53.4% of the dentists mostly used autogenic bone in bone augmentation, 50.4% mostly used collagen membrane. When the factors that the participating dentists pay attention to in the selection of bone grafts are examined, they pay more attention to the factors such as bone formation potential, patient comfort, systemic condition of the patient, graft resorption time, graft particle size and source of the graft, and on the other hand, it was observed that they paid less attention to factors such as the age of the patient, the method of administration, and the current literature. It was observed that the most common complication encountered by dentists was non-ossifying graft particles, followed by graft resorption, membrane exposure, wound surface opening, infection, bleeding, soft tissue development and nerve injury. The factors that periodontologists often pay attention to in bone graft selection were bone formation potential, graft source, graft resorption time, and graft particle source. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons paid attention to bone formation potential, current literature, graft resorption time, and graft source. It was determined that Periodontology and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery specialists pay more attention to these factors than dentists who have basic dental degree. Periodontology and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery specialists usually pay attention to resorption time, ease of application and current literature in membrane selection.; dentists who have basic dental degree paid attention to ease of application, resorption time and cost factors, respectively. It was determined that the factors that the participants paid attention to in the selection of materials and membranes differed according to their profession. Conclusion: According to the data obtained as a result of the study, it was revealed that there were significant differences between all areas of expertise related to the augmentation procedure, both in clinical practice and in knowledge levels. The majority of the statistical differences in the usage habits in our study are due to the usage habits of the dentists who have basic dental degree. In order to eliminate these differences and to ensure the necessary standardization during the augmentation process, it is recommended to establish in-service training and to create an environment where dentists can always access up-to-date literature.