Exploring patients' experience of dental implant surgery with or without intravenous conscious sedation: a qualitative study
Aim: Little qualitative evidence is available regarding the patients’ experience of dental implant surgery and the influence of intravenous conscious sedation (IVCS) on the implant experience. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore patients’ experience of dental implant surgery with or without IVCS, with specific consideration given to understanding the patients’ preferences, motivations, needs and values. Methods: Purposive sampling was used to recruit patients from the Dental Surgery Unit of Cork University Dental School and Hospital. A trained facilitator convened the individual in-depth semi-structured interviews over the telephone 7 days’ post-surgery. Interviews were audio-recorded with a Dictaphone, manually transcribed and imported into a qualitative software tool (Nvivo). The data were then analysed using a thematic framework. Results: Eighteen semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted; 8 patients had dental implants placed under IVCS, while 10 had dental implants placed with local anaesthetic (LA) only. Thematic analysis revealed that emergent themes fitted appropriately with 3 different time points along the dental implant surgical journey (Pre-operative, Intra-operative and Post-operative experiences). Data and analysis were categorized, therefore, to follow the patients experience in chronological order. This facilitated narration of the patients accounts of the experience in an explicit way. Preoperative themes that emerged included the impact of tooth lost, motivations for seeking dental implants and dental anxiety. Intraoperative themes included confidence in the operating surgeon, local anaesthetic injections, the dental implant drill and being sedated. While post-operative themes that emerged were pain, postoperative instructions and follow up. Conclusions: This research offers clinicians deeper understandings of the patients’ experience of dental implant surgery, their preferences, motivations, needs and values, as well as the adjunctive effects of IVCS. Moreover, this research offers ways to improve clinical communications based on the patients’ views and suggestions and ultimately enhancing the quality of patient care.
Dental implants, Patient experience, Qualitative research
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