Questions to Ask When Selecting an Implant Dentist

Dental implants have been the most crucial change in dentistry in the last few hundred years. Dental implants are a great, long-lasting way for patients and dentists to replace missing teeth and keep bone, improving function, comfort, appearance, and, in the end, health and quality of life.

The use of dental implants in dentistry is so new that most dental schools didn’t teach it ten years ago, and many dental schools still don’t teach how to do dental implant surgery. In other words, most dentists who work today haven’t had much or any formal training in dental implant surgery.

On Dental Specialties

Dental implant surgery is not a recognized dental specialty, nor is implant restoration making the teeth that go on the implants. Many different areas of dentistry are trying to claim dental implants as their specialty. Oral surgeons who primarily remove teeth, periodontists, prosthodontists who usually do dentures, partials, crowns, and bridges, and even endodontists are all getting into dental implants, along with some general dentists.

In the dental field, it is up to the licensed professional to keep himself in check. He isn’t supposed to give treatment that he doesn’t think he can do well enough to meet the standard of care. I want to say that some dentists are more honest about their skills than others. They don’t know what they don’t know, which is why you need to be a well-informed consumer.

Dental implants: What Patients Need To Know?

How Do You Know Who to Choose to Put Your Implant On?

Most people trust their general dentist to tell them what to do. Most of the time, this happens when the general dentist knows a specialist who puts implants. Most of the time, this is an oral surgeon or periodontist. After the specialist puts in the implant, the patient returns to the general dentist so the restoration can be put in. Some things could go wrong with this system. Dentists are real people. People tend to stay away from things that make them feel bad. If a general dentist hasn’t been trained or hasn’t had much experience with dental implants, they may be less likely to suggest this solution to their patients who are missing teeth.

Fixing Dental Implants Is Not The Same As fixing teeth

A crown on a natural tooth and a crown on an implant differ in many ways. When it comes to implants, many dentists and specialists don’t know what they don’t know. Many specialists would say the same thing. If a specialist does surgery, he might think he can also put in implants. Putting in implants takes a different set of skills and knowledge than they probably learned in their specialty. Don’t forget that many “more experienced” specialists didn’t learn much about implants in their specialty programs.

Since When Have You Been Putting In Implants?

We all had to start somewhere, but experience does matter. Implant surgery is very technique-dependent, and the surgeon won’t fully understand some things until he has done them for a while. It’s great that patients are willing to help providers learn a new skill, but I think they should be aware that this is what they are doing.

How Many Times Have You Put In An Implant?

This question is not the same as the one above. You might find a provider with ten years of experience which puts in 3 or 4 implants a year. That’s not as much experience as a doctor who puts in implants weekly.

Which Brand And Type Of Implant Do You Use?

There were once thousands of different implants made by thousands of different companies. The field has become much smaller through mergers and people leaving the field. Some well-known companies make high-quality implants. But several low-cost copies use lower-quality materials, have less control over the quality, are less accurate, and cost less. I think you should ask for the exact brand or ask for a specific brand.

What Kinds Of Problems Or Failures Have You Had?

Anyone with a natural implant has had one that didn’t go as planned. Long-term studies can be successful 96% of the time after ten years. This high success rate is not easy to reach, so 4 out of every 100 attempts fail, even in the best situations. I would say that a trustworthy, knowledgeable, self-assured, and experienced surgeon will be happy to talk about problems and reasonable expectations.

What Kind Of Training Did You Get?

Was this a university-based program, a long-term training course taught by a well-known, experienced teacher, or a weekend seminar put on by a company that makes implants to sell them? An internship or a few months of a long-term program would be good answers. The Misch International Implant Institute is the best place to learn about implants. If someone has finished the whole program, you can probably trust them. The Pikos Institute, the International Congress of Oral Implantology, and the American Institute of Osseous Integration are some other well-known schools. I think that dentists who are serious about their implant continuing education will join at least one of these groups.

Is Sedation Through An IV Possible For This Surgery?

Local anesthesia can be used to put in dental implants. I use local anesthesia for almost all of the implants dentists put in. And some oral sedatives can help patients who are nervous about surgery. I put this question here because it’s not easy to get a license in the U.S that lets you do IV sedation. As a dentist, you must be willing to spend a lot of time and money, follow many rules, and, among other things, keep your certification in advanced cardiac life support and airway management. This is not needed to put in an implant well.

Does Your Office Have A Cone Beam?

A cone beam is a digital 3-D imaging system used to look at teeth. It is the “standard of care” for putting in dental implants. It’s also a very pricey piece of gear. Usually, only dentists who place a lot of implants and want to do them well will be willing to spend money on this equipment.

Are The Implant Surgery And Restoration Done In The Same Office Or By The Same Dentist?

Dentists and prosthodontists work all day, every day, on the position, shape, and occlusion (how the teeth fit together) of teeth. They learn a lot about teeth needing to work well and look good. And how and where the implant is placed during surgery has a lot to do with where the tooth or teeth end up.

On the other hand, many specialists, especially surgeons, don’t know much, if anything, about how teeth fit together, look, or work. They know a lot about bones and gums. So, they put the implant where the bone and gum look best, which isn’t always where it needs to be for the tooth to be in the right place. In all honesty, this problem is getting better as professionals learn more about implants. You can visit our dental clinic for the best dental implant treatment nearby.