Survey of clinical members of the association of dental implantology in the United Kingdom: Part I. Levels of activity and experience in oral implantology.
The aims of this survey were to 1) determine recruitment rates of active oral implantologists, 2) establish the proportion of participants who carry out the surgical aspects of implantology, 3) quantify levels of surgical activity, 4) determine the type of qualifications held by this sample, and 5) identify the location of implant activity of clinical members of the Association of Dental Implantology (UK). Questionnaires were mailed to the 408 members of the ADI registered as clinical members of the ADI; data were collected between July 1998 and May 1999. A response rate of 66.9% was achieved. Active members increased markedly from 1985 to 1995. Surgical activity and clinical experience varied widely: 32.9% had placed 100 to 499 implants, 29.8% had inserted 1 to 49 implants, and 4.3% had inserted > or = 2,000 implants. The total number of implants inserted by this sample could only be estimated (between 51,000 and 90,000). The majority of this sample possessed postgraduate qualifications, although only 2.6% possessed a degree in oral implantology. The data from this sample indicated that the recruitment rate to the ADI (UK) increased markedly between 1985 to 1995, after which it seems to have slowed down. Most of the respondents were involved in the surgical aspects of implantology, although the level of surgical involvement varied widely. The low incidence of postgraduate degrees in implantology might reflect the relatively limited opportunities currently available for such training in the UK.