An audit of prosthodontics undertaken in general dental practice in the South East of England.

AIMS: Before embarking upon changes to teaching in prosthodontics it is important to identify what techniques are being used in general practice. The aim of this study was to assess the current range and quantity of fixed and removable prosthodontics reported in general dental practice in the South East of England.

METHOD: Structured questionnaires were sent to 191 randomly selected dentists from the GDC list in the South East of England, with 71% of the dentists completing the questionnaire. The questionnaire included demographic data, NHS/private and the range and quantity of fixed and removable prosthodontics.

RESULTS: The reported number of removable prostheses undertaken was low; most metal dentures were made in private specialist practices, whereas most acrylic partial and complete dentures were made in NHS general practices. The number of bridges, in particular minimal preparation bridges, was low as opposed to the number of crowns, which was high in all types of practices. Implants were provided mainly by the specialists.

CONCLUSIONS: Dentists reported prescribing low numbers of removable and fixed prostheses with the exception of crowns. Metal dentures and implants were mainly provided by specialists. The implications of this study emphasise the importance in teaching crowns to undergraduates.