Teaching of implant dentistry in undergraduate dental schools in the UK and ireland

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the current status of implant teaching within dental undergraduate schools in the UK and Ireland. Methods An online questionnaire relating to current and future possible trends in dental implantology education was developed and distributed to heads of departments of restorative dentistry, in each of the 18 dental schools with undergraduate dental programmes in the UK and Ireland. Results Responses were received from 16 schools. All responding schools provided implant training for their students. The majority of schools offered students direct clinical experience in treatment planning (n = 13) however, direct clinical experience in restoring implants (n = 5) and implant placement (n = 1) was low. Barriers to implementing and developing the dental undergraduate implant programme include funding and lack of available time in the curriculum. Conclusion There has been a significant improvement in the amount of implant teaching in the UK and Ireland since previous surveys. Further development and improvement of implant teaching in dental undergraduate schools are required, particularly with respect to the amount of direct clinical experience provided. This will ensure that newly qualified dentists will enter practice with a greater level of knowledge in this field and are best prepared for independent clinical practice.