If you are considering dental implants, you may wonder if going to your local dentist in Birmingham is the best option.
They know you and your dental history and can use this information to give you bespoke care.
But are they the best option for you?
Why choose a dental implant specialist?
The biggest differences between a dental implant specialist and a family dentist are the training, experience, and services they offer.
Training
To provide dental implants London-wide, implant dentists will need to complete specialist training dedicated to fitting dental implants. This can take anything from 18 months to 3 years.
This training includes:
- Theory and background – including anatomy and bone biology
- Surgical skills – preparing for surgery, anaesthetic techniques, and surgical procedures
- Bespoke treatment planning
- Implant design – including how to use surgical and restorative kits
- Identifying and minimising complications
Experience
A key part of any training is clinical experience, which includes gaining experience with different patient and implant types.
This means that they will be able to fit dental implants for everyone who will need them – no matter their dental circumstances.
For some patients, this can include preparatory procedures like bone grafts or sinus lifts, which are needed to make extra room or add stability to the jawbone before implants are fitted.
Services
While this will differ, clinic by clinic, some dental implant specialists offer only dental implant treatment.
This allows them to focus solely on dental implants, employ specialists, and spend only on clinic expenses related to implant placement.
Other providers, however, like family dentists will offer a wider selection of services, from general dentistry to orthodontics and cosmetic dentistry – it just depends on where you go!
Do I need an implant specialist or will my local dentist be able to help?
Some local clinics across the UK offer dental implants with a suitably qualified dentist – can they help?
Unless you have complications, most people will be able to get dental implants with a dentist local to you, provided they have the correct qualifications and are experienced in the implant type you need.
However, there are people who may need to see a more experienced implant specialist, including those with:
- Low bone levels or poor bone quality in the jaw – because they need a bone graft
- Overly large sinuses – so need a sinus lift
- Periodontal (gum) disease
- Many failing or missing teeth
In these instances, it may be worth seeing a slightly more experienced provider, who can suggest specific dental implants or alternative treatment pathways to restore your smile and your bite.
The best dental implants come from a trusted provider
When looking for a dental implant provider, the best thing to do is check their training and experience and then meet with them for a consultation.
At this appointment, you can speak with them about your hopes for treatment and the outcome you are looking for and they can advise based on your circumstances – all while you see what the patient experience is like.
If you are happy, you can then book your implants and move ahead with treatment when you are ready.
