Abstract
Background and objectives: Qualitative research allows us to investigate the " how " and " why " of people's experiences. This study explored the experiences of patients who underwent tooth loss and received single-tooth implants.
Methods: A purposive sample (N=10) of participants who were previously treated at the University of Otago (Faculty of Dentistry) for implant therapy was recruited. Participants were interviewed and the interviews transcribed. Data were analysed through reflexive thematic analysis using NVivo 14 software.
Results: Key themes in the data were: stages of grief; knowledge; the decision; and expectation versus reality. Under the theme stages of grief, participants described their emotions when undergoing tooth loss, and their expressed emotions echoed the stages of grief. Under the theme knowledge, participants expressed their understanding of dental implants, and their understanding was sometimes incorrect. Under the theme decision, participants revealed their thought processes when choosing whether to proceed with dental implants. The theme expectation versus reality was used where participants expressed expectations of their actual experiences with implant therapy differed from their lived reality or clinical expectations.
Conclusions: Patients experience a grief process with tooth loss, and this process may differ between different people. Results highlight the importance of careful and effective practitioner-patient communication about tooth loss and implants, alongside the need for practitioners to understand the participants' lived experiences and their expectations, and how these might differ from clinical expectations. The findings have implications for patient management, particularly communication.