Do I Need a Special Dentist for Dental Implants?

That is not a foolish question at all, in fact it is a very good question, and you should be seeking a dentist with special implant training. Certain specialists, such as periodontists (gum specialist), & oral surgeons have this additional training, but not all. Keep in mind that many general dentists or prosthodontists also have this additional training and can do ALL the work in one office. More importantly this is not the first thing to think about. First you must find a RESTORATIVE dentist with special knowledge about restoring dental implants, of course this may be your regular family dentist whom you should consult if you already have one. The first decision is "what kind of restoration do I need?" If you are only replacing one tooth this will be a simple implant supported crown, but even then there are several options. Once that is decided then you will need a dentist, possibly the same one, to place the implant. Some dentists do all the work and some refer their patients to have the implant placed before coming back to get the restoration. Hope that helps. Regards, Dr. David E. Azar David E. Azar, DDS, FICOI, MgIDE

The answer is yes. Either an oral surgeon or periodontist are the best types of dentists for implant placement. The crown (restoration) can be done by a general dentist or prosthodontist. To help find the right person, it is important to ask the right questions also. Dr. H. Ryan Kazemi

General dentists don't usually have the best experience with dental implants. But they can do them. I'll tell you what happened to me when I had my two implants done side by side. I hope it will help anyone out there contemplating having this done. My general dentist had the best looking office, the friendliest staff, the cleanest processes. accepted my insurance, the most modern equipment. You name it, this office had all the fancy trappings including massage chairs, headphones, TV on the ceiling for you to watch when you were being treated. Nothing more could you have asked for. The dentist was ambitious, young, friendly, professional. This dentist, (he had his very own practice) gave me the best service and when he had put two crowns on my front teeth I thought I would never have to look again for another dentist. These crowns were so nice, matched so perfectly with my other teeth and looked perfect. We then discussed dental implants for my two bottom left teeth that I had pulled. He took all the images of my teeth, their alignment, where the nerves were in my jaw, etc. That is important because if you have an implant you must avoid injuring a nerve that is irreparable. He said I was a good candidate. I asked him if he had done implants in the past (I never heard him mention this option to me, I had inquired with him) well, he said yes he did. I asked about how many, he said he had done many implants. (ask for specific ballpark number because I later found out he had just received training and done very few) I agreed to have these done. I wish I would have asked him when he finished his training and the specific number of implants he had done (very important) The day of the surgery went without an incident. I was given a local numbing agent and it was painless. I actually had to go to work that night and I did without any help from pain relievers. No pain what so ever. The healing was right on schedule. No complications. My bone was integrating very well with these two implants. BUT when it came time to set the crown, this is where the problems began. This dentist could not, after four different attempts to get the right size crown, get it right. When I became obviously frustrated at what the problem could be (the crown was to short, always) he said it was through no fault of his own, my teeth had shifted. When I informed him, this has nothing to do with shifting teeth, the crown is to short, he became defensive and suggested I take the short crown anyways because no one would see it. The post of the implant was clearly visible by a large degree and it looked like a tooth on a stick. The crown did not sit up against the gum line with a large gap between the crown and the gumline. This dentist suggested that if he made the crown any larger, it would knock up against my upper teeth and then the foolish man suggested shaving down all my upper teeth!! yes really. I did not want him touching any more of my teeth after that. I think he could have been more creative with options had he not been so defensive. Now this is the problem one could have with a general dentist performing implants. He/ she might understand how its done, but there are many other factors to consider. In addition, the two implants were not aligned properly. One sat inwards a little and had the crowns been placed (after finding proper fitting crowns) would have made my smile line crooked. I did not think I should pay big bucks to have a crooked smile line. So our patient/ doctor relationship ended there because he did not offer me a way out of this delima and I had already paid him. About a month later I wrote to his office and requested my money be returned. I have two implant post still in my gums with no crowns and that is how he left me. I heard nothing from his office. Nothing. After that 30 days I then sent him a return receipt certified letter requesting all my medical files to include notes, x-rays, procedures and billing. Under Hippa, I stated, I am entitled to them. Two days after receiving the certified letter his office called me and told me they would reimburse me every penny that I asked be returned. Of course they knew I had a reason to request medical records, they thought I was going to court, and I planned to do so after filing a complaint with the medical board. I'm sure he would not like to see a complaint on his record whether the board found him negligent or not. I would think no board would not find this negligent. Now of course I understand this wasn't intentional, just an ambitious dentist getting a little to far ahead of himself. They must absolutely evaluate how the new crown will line up with all other teeth. Ask the dentist if this is an issue. Ask the dentist if your bone has enough height and strength to sustain an implant. He should know. Ask if a bone graft would not help the situation if there is receeding bone. get all your questions answered because this should not be that stressful of a situation like it was for me. This sort of planning ahead I think would be better addressed through an oral surgeon, or prosthodontists who could see the big picture way before they started creating it. Also, all my teeth are perfectly straight, Ive never had braces, no crooked teeth. No receeding, Just a few that went bad on me. It should not have been complicated had he been more experienced at this sort of thing. I would only go to a dentist for cosmetic work if it is on the front teeth up and down. Nothing past your eye teeth.