Factors that dentists use to decide whether or not to render a patient edentulous. Part 1. A qualitative study of East Lancashire general dental practitioners' views.

AIMS: To identify the factors that dentists use to decide whether to render a patient edentulous, prior to developing a questionnaire to investigate the factors that dentists use when making this decision. METHOD: This was a qualitative study involving two groups of seven dentists practising in primary care in East Lancashire who were given scenarios involving patients of different types to facilitate discussion and identify all factors. Audio recordings were used during the focus groups and were subsequently fully transcribed. Two members of the research team independently coded the transcripts and then used thematic analysis to identify key themes. RESULTS: Analysis of the results identified 12 factors that the dentists considered when making a patient edentulous. These were caries, periodontal disease, position of the teeth, aesthetics, bone support, the transition from partial dentures, patient motivation, medicolegal issues, age of the patient, patient choice, cost of treatment, and the dentist's attitude and skills. CONCLUSION: The dentists identified a large number of factors that they might consider before making a patient edentulous. There was a consensus that the change should be made gradually, if possible.