Finding a healthcare provider is often a time-consuming process in which various candidates are compared and contrasted on criteria such as education, skills, experience, location, specialized equipment, recommendations, online reviews, and special offers.

Many people engage in this evaluation when they begin a search for a dental professional to provide them with dental implants. As the popularity of dental implants as replacements for missing, damaged, or unsalvageable natural teeth has soared, so too has the number of dental professionals who are promoting their practices as the place to go to receive these state-of-the-art restorations.

Ultimately, the choice of a dental implant provider comes down to the patient’s decision – one based on his or her individual needs. A little bit of guidance can help.

Implant Dentist Vs. Implantologist

Dentists in a wide range of specialties offer dental implant placement, including general dentists, periodontists, prosthodontists, and oral surgeons. Regardless of the specialty, placing dental implants requires specific additional training in techniques, technologies, and philosophies specific to designing a dental implant treatment plan and then executing it safely and successfully.

The terms “implant dentist,” “dental implant dentist,” and “dental implant specialist” are all used to refer to a dentist who places dental implants, but none of them is a recognized dental specialty. The various terms can be confusing, and prospective patients wonder what the differences are and which one they should choose.

Another term, “implantologist,” offers more insight into the dentist’s level of training and experience. An implantologist is a dentist who has completed extensive training in the techniques involved in designing and completing the replacement of missing teeth with dental implants. In addition, he or she has substantial experience in placing dental implants in actual patients.

Dentists who have been certified and credentialed by the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) often describe themselves as “implantologists” to differentiate themselves from other dentists who place dental implants but haven’t completed such structured and sanctioned training.

Training and Qualifications

Dental implant placement is not included in the curricula of most dental schools, so dentists wishing to offer dental implant placement in their practices must obtain additional training in the specialty. Many general dentists attend a few days of seminars or a single weekend of studying to receive this training, but there are real concerns about whether or not this quick, brief amount of continuing education is sufficient to be able to place dental implants with all the safety, comfort, and excellent results that patients desire and deserve.

What’s clear is that these continuing education opportunities cannot provide the same level of intensive and thorough instruction and training in dental implantology as the courses that meet the standards outlined by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS).

Why Location Is Important

When it comes to their healthcare, many people won’t settle for anything less than the best, and if that means paying a little more or traveling a little farther to get it, they’re willing to do that.

That said, it’s important to consider how close a prospective provider’s office is to your home or place of employment. Completing teeth replacement with dental implants requires several appointments prior to the actual day of surgery and then a certain number of follow-up appointments after the surgery. You may end up realizing that having chosen a provider whose office is 25, 50, or more miles away from your home or workplace has become quite inconvenient. Having to rescheduled appointments will delay the completion of your dental implant treatment, and cancelling appointments – or missing them altogether – may end up costing your additional money if the provider charges for cancelations made less than a given number of hours prior to the scheduled appointment.

What Technology Should the Provider Have?

Successful placement of dental implants depends on the quality of the treatment planning that takes place beforehand. Critical to this are 3-D images of your jaws and teeth. These images allow the implant provider to visualize and measure the amount of bone you have in the areas where the implants will be anchored, as well as the locations of your remaining teeth and any other physical structures such as nerves and blood vessels.

Most often, these images are obtained using a cone beam computed tomography scan (CBCT). Whether a provider has this equipment in his or her office or refers patients to an imaging center, these images are critical to planning your dental implant treatment.

Your provider should also be able to obtain any specialized dental implants that may be indicated by your particular anatomy or preferences. While standard dental implants are sufficient to treat a wide range of patients, some patients require dental implants that are shorter, wider, or designed to be anchored in structures other than the jawbone.

The provider you choose should be able to obtain these specialized dental implants and be properly trained and experienced in placing them correctly.

Are the Provider’s Techniques Up-to-Date?

It may be difficult for most patients to know the most current techniques for the placement of dental implants without doing a fair amount of research, and that research is well worth doing. In general, though, the “standard of care” or “best practices” are focused on performing an implant surgery that is more comfortable for the patient; less disruptive to the patient’s bone, gums, and adjacent teeth; and allows for a faster recovery and a more aesthetic, functional, and long-lasting result. Once you’ve spoken with several potential dental implant providers, you may have a better understanding of which ones propose a treatment plan for you that is most likely to achieve those goals.

What Questions to Ask Potential Providers

One important question to ask a dental implant provider is whether he or she can provide sedation, either oral (a pill) or I.V., prior to the implant procedure. For patients who tend to be anxious in a dentist’s chair, or full-fledged dentalphobics, this option may be essential to completing their dental implant procedure free of apprehension.

Another important question is, “How many dental implants do you place in a month?” The answer not only gives you an insight into the amount of experience the provider has in placing dental implants but also into the amount you may pay. A general dentist who places one dental implant a month has to charge the patient more for implants than does an implantologist who places three implants every day his or her office is open. The implantologist is able to buy dental implants at a lower cost because he or she buys them in volume and can pass the savings on to the patients.

Another important consideration in choosing a dental implant provider is the technology he or she uses. The desire to provide the best possible care and outcomes for their patients – as well as the business demands to stay competitive – encourages many dental implant providers to stay current with the latest technological advances in implantology. And while it’s natural for many patients to want to have the latest and greatest devices available for their dental implant procedures, it isn’t always necessary to achieve a highly successful and satisfactory result.

For example, many implant providers use surgical guides as part of the treatment-planning process. Prior to the implant procedure, the dentist will make an impression of your mouth and send it to a dental lab to fabricate a plastic device with metal inserts that contain pre-drilled holes. The device is then anchored in your mouth during the implant procedure to guide the insertion of each implant, ensuring they are positioned at exactly the right location and angle that were determined in the treatment plan.

Using surgical guides will increase the cost and duration of the implant procedure, so if a prospective dental implant provider plans to use them, ask why they are important for the successful placement of your implants. After asking that question of several providers, you may conclude that surgical guides aren’t necessary for you to obtain a successful result, and you can spend less money.

Finally, ask the provider if he or she has any dental implant patients who would be willing to talk with you about their experiences undergoing dental implant placement. If the provider has patients who are willing to talk with you, you can ask questions that are best answered by someone who has actually gone through the surgery. If the provider doesn’t have any patients who are willing to talk with you about their experiences, ask yourself why that’s the case.

Comfort Is Key

Whichever type of provider you choose to place your dental implants, it’s important that you be completely comfortable with that professional and the treatment plan he or she proposes for you. Balancing cost, location, training, experience, technique, and technology in a way that meets your budget, time requirements, and desired results may take a considerable commitment of time and energy, but the reward is reclaiming the look, feel, and function of natural teeth and the confidence that they restore.

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