Development of Evidence-based Difficulty Assessment Tool in Implant Dentistry

<p>In Japan, oral surgeons, prosthodontists, or periodontists are often in charge of implant treatment. Therefore, it is thought that a method to accurately determine the difficulty level of implant treatment, especially for treatment in areas other than</p><p>their own main field, would help to provide safe and secure implant treatment.</p><p>Currently, several tools for determining the difficulty level of implant treatment have been proposed, but there are some problems that cannot be well expressed by the various classification methods that have been used so far. For example, a single tooth defect in a mandibular molar with no problems in bone quality or quantity and no occlusal problems may be considered to be an easy case, but for an inexperienced dentist, drilling the bone itself may seem difficult. Thus, whether a case is easy or difficult depends greatly on the operator's perception and experience. Apart from such kinds of technical difficulty, which is perceived differently by different operators, there is another level of difficulty based on the general condition, the treatment site, and the individuality of the patient, and so on. High-quality evidence generally shows that the success rate of implant treatment decreases when there are problems with these items.</p><p>The Research Promotion Committee of the Japanese Society of Oral Implantology is attempting to classify the difficulty level of implant treatment, which can be called an Evidence-Based Difficulty Assessment Tool, independent of the surgeon's experience. This paper presents a trial proposal.</p>