Two cases of implant treatment using prosthetic-related examinations and patient reported outcome measures

——the roles of dental hygienists in implant treatment

Abstract

The responsibilities of dental hygienists have diversified in response to aging population and changing disease demographics. Notably, the field of implant treatment has seen rapid development and widespread acceptance. The advancements in examinations, diagnostics, and the growing significance of patient subjective assessments in treatment planning have diversified the roles of dental hygienists. It is our belief that successful implant treatment requires collaboration among patients, dental staff, and practitioners. in this new era of implantology, dental hygienists equipped with up to-date knowledge are expected to play a crucial role in gathering preoperative information and explaining the treatment to patients. This article is to review two cases where dental hygienists actively engaged in prosthetic-related examinations, providing objective information, and incorporated patient-reported outcome measures to capture subjective information essential for implant treatment. The involvement of dental hygienists in the decision-making process facilitated smooth information sharing among patients, dental staff, and dentists. Furthermore, presenting examination results and obtained data to patients using numerical values and diagrams enabled hygienists to uncover previously unnoticed issues. As a result, effective communication and shared decision-making were achieved, contributing to satisfactory outcomes in the follow-up of implant treatments. These are important roles that only dental hygienists can play and highlight their valuable contributions in implant dentistry.