Knowledge and practice of implant-retained restorations among dental students in Saudi Arabia

Objectives: the aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and practice of implant retained restorations (irr) among senior dental students in saudi arabia. methods: four hundred questionnaires were distributed among senior dental students of five dental schools in saudi arabia. student’s knowledge was assessed regarding which implant restoration [cement retained restoration (crr) or screw retained restoration (srr)] better provides the desired clinical properties. students’ practice of irr, perception of their knowledge and need for further education related to irr were also assessed. descriptive statistics and chi-square test were employed to assess collected data. results: three hundred and fifty four senior dental students responded at a response rate of 88.5%. thirty three percent respondents did not have any practical experience of irr. students showed a clear preference for crr with regards to aesthetics (71.4%), passive fit (55.3%), fabrication ease (57.3%) and fracture resistance (40%). srr were considered to provide better retention (59.6%), soft tissue health (51.1%) and ease of retrievability (72%). nearly 40% of students agreed that they did not get sufficient information related to irr in undergraduate courses. conclusions: clinical training of irr is compromised in the undergraduate curriculum in dental schools of saudi arabia. the knowledge of dental students regarding irr was broadly in line with current evidence.