Dental Implant Dentists • How to Choose a Dentist for Implants

Dental implants specialists are dentists who offer a modern and effective solution for tooth replacement to patients who are missing one or more of their teeth. Unlike other dental procedures that can be performed by a single dentist, the dental implant placement procedures may require the involvement of more dental professionals. The correct choice of dentist may play a significant role in the success of the treatment.

Dental implants usually involve the co-ordinated efforts of (at least) the implant dentist who is the one who performs the surgical procedure of placing the implant in the jawbone, and the restorative dentist who will make the crowns, bridges or dentures that will be supported by the implant(s).

In the United States, UK and other countries, there is no exclusive dental specialty for 'implantology' such as periodontology or endodontics that are recognized dentist specialties in most of the world. Some countries like UK, although there is no specific dental specialty, have set restrictions on legal training requirements for dentists who perform dental implant procedures. But, in USA any licensed dentist may perform these.

The vast majority of dental implants are placed by professionals of the following dentist specialties:

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are the ones most commonly trained to qualify for dental implant placement. Becoming an oral surgeon requires additional training of 4 - 6 years internship and residency after completing dental school. The oral surgeon's expertise is necessary for the proper treatment planning especially if the patient has jaw joint problems, bruxism or severe bone loss. The oral surgeon will usually perform the surgical implant placement and refer the patient to a restorative dentist for the placement of the crown, bridge or denture.

Periodontists are also another popular option as your dental implant dentist. A periodontist will be your best choice in case the teeth to be replaced are lost due to periodontitis. Prior to any surgery the periodontist will first treat the periodontal disease that could compromise the success of the procedure. Periodontists and oral surgeons perform most of the dental implant surgeries (they count for about 70% of all dental implant placements).

Prosthodontists. Although prosthodontists specialize in the restoration part of the procedure, some of them also choose to perform the dental surgery and the placing of the implants, while referring the more difficult cases to an oral surgeon. The advantage of having a prosthodontist as implant dentist is that you will have to deal with only one professional through the course of the treatment.

There are also many general dentists who have had advanced training in dental implants. If your regular dentist is qualified and your case is a simple one that your dentist feels confident about, you might not need to refer to another dental specialist.

Dental implants placement is a dental procedure that needs an investment in time and money. The treatment cost can be $1500-$6000 per tooth, and the full treatment may take from 3 to 6 months or even longer. Before treatment you should invest some time to find a good implant dentist.

Your choice of dental implant dentist can make the difference between a successful treatment and a failed one. The next section will help you evaluate the most important factors on how to choose one:

• Experience in dental implants placement
• Training in implant procedures
• Certification - Scientific affiliations
• Dental specialty
• Treatment cost

#1. Experience in dental implants placement

When you have to choose the dental professional to perform your dental implants surgery procedure, the major key factor is nothing else than experience. Experience is not clearly a matter of dental specialty or years of practicing dentistry. There is no 100% guarantee that a specialist such as a periodontist will have better experience on dental implants than a general dentist who has decided to focus in this field of dentistry. Neither a dentist who has 20 years of practicing dentistry will be best qualified from a young dentist who has specialized in dental implants. Look for a dentist in your area who practices extensively in dental implants.

#2. Training in dental implant procedures

Adequate post-doctoral training is important for an implants dentist. Training programs cover a detailed theory syllabus, in addition to supervised surgical training and mentoring. But dental implants is a dynamic field and dentists need continuous education on new materials and new techniques.

#3. Certification - Scientific affiliations

Certification has a meaning only in those countries that have strict legal requirements for implant dentists, such as UK. Otherwise scientific affiliations in local 'implantology' related societies don't provide adequate evidence on the dentist's training or expertise.

#4. Dental specialty

Oral surgeons and periodontists perform most of the implant treatments, thus they should be your first choice. You should better choose a dentist among these specialties if you have specific problems that may put the success of treatment at risk. Patients with TMJ or bruxism problems should refer to an oral surgeon, while patients with severe gum disease should choose a periodontist. Of course, there is no problem of combining more specialties in the course of treatment.

In many complicated cases, it is possible that a general dentist is your first point of conduct, a periodontist treats surgically the periodontal disease issues, an oral surgeon makes the surgical insertion of the implant and finally a prosthodontist places the final restoration. While specialists such as oral and maxillofacial surgeons or periodontists often are preferred for the surgical placement of implants, it is important that a general dentist or prosthodontist initiate and coordinate the process, because they can better evaluate the benefits of using dental implants instead of other prosthetic devices.

#5. Dental implants cost

Placing dental implants is one of the most expensive dental procedures, due to the professional expertise required by the dentist, and the high tech materials used. Unfortunately you should not expect to find significant discounts for low cost dental implants without compromising quality. Heavily discounted prices may be an indication of a less experienced dentist trying to establish himself or of using lower quality materials. If you have some type of dental implant insurance coverage through an insurance policy or a discount dental plan, check if it is accepted by the selected dentist.

Considering the amount of money that have to be invested for an implants procedure, it is recommended to spend some time in research before choosing your dental implant dentist. Correct choice of dentist may play a significant role in the success of the procedure and make the difference between having your dental implants for a lifetime or having to pay to replace them within a few years.