Dental implants are fast becoming one of the most popular choices of dental restoration today. With their unique design, stability, and natural appearance, dental implants can completely restore the function of your teeth and transform the appearance of your smile. Some patients even opt for dental implants for cosmetic reasons alone.
Recognizing the demand for dental implants, a growing number of dentists are now offering dental implant surgery as one of their services. But, with so many to choose from, it can be difficult to know which dental professional is the right one to undertake your implant procedure.
Here are some of the crucial things that you should look for when selecting an implant dentist.
Qualifications of Implant Dentist
Many patients assume that a general dental qualification is sufficient for a professional to perform dental implant surgery. However, to successfully assess a patient’s candidacy and complete the procedure requires specialized knowledge that can only be gained through specific training.
Some of the questions that you should ask related to your prospective dental implant surgeon’s qualifications include:
- Where and when did you do your dental implant training?
- Are you a member of any professional dental implant boards or academies? Membership or certification from prestigious academies reassure you that the dentist has demonstrated the required standard of knowledge, ability and proficiency in implant dentistry.
Dental Implant Experience and Education
Understanding the theory of dental implants is important, but even more crucial is the time that they have spent actually performing the procedures that they have trained for. True knowledge can only be gained through experience, as the dentist learns how to adapt to cases that may not be perfectly ‘textbook’ from start to finish. You should always choose a dentist that has a combination of professional qualifications and experience in whatever dental procedure you may be having.
To understand more about your prospective dentist’s experience, you could ask questions such as:
- How many dental implant procedures have you performed?
- What is your success rate?
- Have you got any examples of a procedure that hasn’t gone to plan and what you did to resolve it?
You should also look through your potential dentist’s portfolio to see before and after photos, as well as look at reviews.
Relationship with Dentist
Dental implant surgery requires you to trust your dentist completely, but putting your trust in a stranger can be extremely difficult. Therefore, in addition to qualifications and experience, you need to find a dental implant surgeon who takes the time to reassure you and answer any questions that you may have.
Any good dentist will be happy to spend time with you to discuss exactly what the surgery will involve. Some things that you might like to ask could include:
- What type of anesthesia will you use?
- Can I be sedated?
- How long will the procedure take?
- What steps are involved in the surgery and who undertakes them?
- Will I be able to drive myself home the same day?
- What risks are involved?
- How long will my recovery take?
- Will I need or be prescribed any medications after my procedure?
- How will you know if the surgery has been successful?
Finding the right dental implant dentist might take some time. However, it’s important not to wait too long, because untreated tooth loss can end up hurting your smile more in the long run. Call the experienced dentists at Vero Dental Spa today, and see how we can help restore your smile.