Awareness and attitude of ENT surgeons towards various dental implants or oral surgery procedures: a cross-sectional survey in the UK.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of awareness and attitude of ENT surgeons towards dental implants and oral surgery procedures that involve the maxillary sinus. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a closed-ended questionnaire on 40 UK-based ENT surgeons. RESULTS: Within the study population, 45 per cent of ENT surgeons were not aware of sinus lift augmentation in implant dentistry. Only 25 per cent of respondents were aware of the two subtypes of sinus lift techniques. Thirty per cent of the respondents were aware of or had heard of benign positional paroxysmal vertigo following dental treatment. Fifty-two per cent of respondents came across a dental foreign body, most commonly a tooth that had been displaced into the maxillary sinus. It was also reported that 82.5 per cent of respondents had liaised with an oral surgeon for an oroantral communication problem or a dental infection. CONCLUSION: Dental awareness among ENT surgeons needs to be raised for optimum interdisciplinary communication and patient safety.