DENTAL IMPLANTS, AN OPTION IN SMILE RECONSTRUCTION VI

Who would be placing your implant...Who are the dentists involved in my treatment?

Although dental implant placement is not a recognized specialist by the American Dental Association, it is a field that requires special training in the procedure. Dental implants may be placed by a general dentist, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, a prosthodontist, or a periodontist.  Any dentist who places implants should be specially trained and experienced in the process.  The restoration of an already placed implant is typically completed by the general dentist or the prosthodontist, assuming, of course, that the clinician has sufficient training and experience in the restorative process.  

As you see, the dental implant process is two-fold.  It requires both a surgical phase and a restorative phase. The surgical phase is needed for implant placement into the jaw bone while the restorative phase is later initiated to fabricate the individual crown, bridge, or denture that is to be mounted on the already fused implant (s). 

When seeking a dentist qualified to place and restore implants, you should ask:

. How much training the dentist has in the procedure

. How many implants he or she has treated

. How long the dentist has been working with implants

I, in my practice, am involved in the restorative aspect of the dental implant process.  I have, for many years, restored numerous individual as well as multiple systems of implants as part of simple to extremely complicated cases. My team and I would be happy to discuss the procedural details with you so as to explain how to get started with the consultation process.  Together with my surgical team, we thoroughly plan to meet your specific esthetic and functional needs, making certain to bring forward a beautifully longlasting smile.  

Stay tune...next you'll learn about how to decide if implant therapy is the right choice for YOU!