SPONSORED: Dental implants: The benefits and opportunities

Darshan Boindala completed a master’s programme in dental implants and oral surgery at the Guglielmo Marconi University, Italy in 2019.  Darshan trained in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and is passionate about teaching postgraduate dentists.  He has been a lecturer for the IQE, MFDS and MJDF postgraduate dentistry exams and is a Dental Routes mentor for implantology students across London and the home counties.  Here, he explores the personal and business case for introducing dental implants into your practice.

The field of implantology is full of potential for dental professionals.  Embarking on this rewarding branch of dentistry provides the opportunity to provide life-changing treatment for patients, to challenge and broaden your skills, and it can be financially beneficial.  But how do you know if it is right for you and your practice?  Here are my five top points to consider:

1.  Make dental implants part of the conversation

Dental implants offer a strong, comfortable, stable and long-lasting choice for people with missing teeth.  Regarded by many practitioners as the ‘gold standard’ of tooth replacement options, dental implants can be used to support single crowns, multiple tooth bridges or full dentures.  The treatment has a high success rate, according to the Association of Dental Implantology, as high as 95 per cent in the UK, and the aesthetic and functional results are generally better than with loose prostheses.

The demand for dental implants is rapidly growing, as more and more people with missing or failing natural teeth become aware of the benefits of being able to eat, talk, laugh and smile with implant-supported restorations.  The provision of dental implants should ideally become an essential part of any discussion with a patient who has missing teeth.

2.  Take on a personal challenge

Implant dentistry embraces a broad spectrum of approaches and applications which require a variety of clinical and non-clinical skills and encourages practitioners to look at dentistry in a more holistic way.  If you are passionate about restorative dentistry, expanding your offering to include dental implants certainly makes sense but you will also need to become familiar with broader subjects and disciplines such as anatomy, radiology, treatment planning and patient marketing and communication. 

Enroling on a good quality, practical course with a flexible approach to long-term mentoring and support – for your first implant case and beyond - is key.  Having an experienced clinician to provide you with the answers to your many questions and being available to guide you from planning, to placing and then restoring, will help build your confidence to eventually go it alone.  Observing experts in the field will also help you see first-hand how dental implant treatment can be life changing for patients and help you to grow your knowledge and clinical competence. 

Working in dentistry allows you to consider a range of options.  For instance, the BDA states, “Many dentists are now working as a GDP some days with more specialised care on others, and/or teaching and training alongside their clinical work.”  Integrating implantology into your portfolio can present opportunity and help with career balance.

According to David Westgarth (BDJ In Practice), “Portfolio careers can benefit dental professionals by offering flexibility, novelty and autonomy.  Dentists may find that their interests get squeezed out as the pressures of working in the dental field take over.  A portfolio career can redress this balance and bring personal satisfaction to reduce the risk of stress and burnout.  Additionally, portfolio careers can make a career more interesting and varied and keep dental professionals highly motivated in all their posts.”

3.  Boost team satisfaction

The introduction of implant treatment into your practice will not only improve the range of options for your patients and increase your business but can also be an attractive benefit for your dental team.  The team supporting the planning and delivery of dental implants, from the receptionist, treatment coordinator, dental nurse, hygienist, practice manager and technician, to the dentist placing the implants - everyone will have their part to play.  By ensuring that your team are invested and involved in the management and treatment pathway, they will have the opportunity to learn a new skill set and develop their experience, which in turn increases morale, job satisfaction, staff retention and can even help with recruitment.

4.  Increase patient retention

With the accessibility of information online and more of a focus on dental implants in the media, patients are often equipped with prior knowledge and able to make more informed tooth replacement choices.  Consumer friendly websites, such as click4teeth.com, the UK’s largest directory of tooth implant clinics, provide potential patients with further insight into the treatment and the opportunity to find and book an initial consultation with a local implant dentist online.

Introducing another treatment modality in-house rather than referring out will not only help grow your business but increase patient loyalty.  The provision of a broader range of treatments can only help to strengthen the relationship with your patients.  A comprehensive, all-round treatment care package such as the planning, placing and restoring of dental implants can help to meet and exceed their expectations.  The deeper the relationship with a patient, the more they will appreciate your work, value your advice and be less likely to move elsewhere.

5.  Think about the long-term prospects

The long-term prospects for incorporating implant treatment into a practice ultimately depend on the aims and objectives of the practitioner.  Implant dentistry requires significant extra time, investment, training and dedication.  However, the field has the potential to provide a new sustainable revenue stream for your practice and a competitive advantage over other local clinics.  Invest in yourself and your practice to reap the long-term rewards. 

For me, Professor Simon Wright, MBE sums it up perfectly, “If implant dentistry is suited to you and you are willing to commit to the ongoing education and approach it in a structured well-organised manner, slowly building up your competence, experience, formal knowledge and skill base, all under the supervision of a qualified mentor, then the opportunities are vast.  These include professional respect, patient satisfaction, remuneration and personal fulfilment.”

The Dental Routes 2023 Certificate in Dental Implantology takes place from 5 April to 29 November 2023.  For more information and prospectus, call Ruby Kenward at +44 7830 814625 or email hello@dentalroutes.org