I need to get a couple of dental implants and I want to find the best implant dentist around. I’ve heard the longer they’ve been placing them, the more likely you are to have a successful outcome. How many years should they have been placing them?
Carly
Dear Carly,
It’s great that you are trying to do some research up front. You’re also on the right track about needing an experienced implant dentist. It’s not usually a matter of years as much as it is training and number of successful cases they’ve performed.
The best implant dentists will have taken a significant amount of post-doctoral training in implantology and restorative dentistry. Their percentage of successful cases should be at least 98%. Be aware that even the best implant dentists will have some failed cases.
While by far the majority will have a successful outcome, there will occasionally be a case that just fails through no fault of the patient or the dentist. It’s just how their body responded to the treatment.
Finding the Best Implant Dentist in Your Area
Look at the type of training Dr. Thein has done to get an idea of what you’re looking for if you really want the best. Fewer than one-half of 1% of dental professionals have his depth of implant training.
Be bold in asking them about their training. If they say dental school, that is definitely not enough. In fact, they’re not taught what they need in dental school. Then ask them how many cases they’ve done and what percentage of those have been successful.
As always, verify patient experiences by checking their reviews. Google Reviews and Yelp! are good places to see reviews, along with Rate my Doc.
I hope this helps you find what you’re looking for.
This blog is brought to you by La Crescenta Implant Dentist Dr. Robert Thein.