Evaluation of the information provided by UK dental practice websites regarding complications of dental implants.

Introduction Dental implants are a popular option for replacing missing teeth. When searching for information regarding dental implants, patients may first look to their dental practice website. The aim of this study was to assess the variance of patient information provided regarding implant complications on dental implant practice websites.Materials and methods Inclusion criteria for this study were dental practices within the Greater Glasgow & Clyde health board and practices with an active website. Completeness was assessed using a six-point score based on the British Association of Oral Surgeons 'Information for patients' leaflet and Association of Dental Implantology 'Considering dental implants? - A patient's guide to dental implant treatment' leaflet.Results In total, 90.7% (n = 107) of practices provided accessible implant information on their websites. However, only 37.3% (n = 44) mentioned one or more specified dental implant complications. Pain/discomfort was the most frequently stated complication (n = 41/118); implant failure was only mentioned by 19 practices (16%). The mean number of complications mentioned by the 118 practices offering dental implants was 1.1.Discussion As implant dentistry grows, there may be concerns over patient expectations. To overcome lack of quality assurance on the internet, dentists can provide factual information on their websites. They should be aware of their duty to provide material that is accurate, honest, informative and not potentially misleading.