Are implants required to graduate?

[Anothercalidds]

Hey guys. Implants are so common these days, and I feel like it should be a requirement? Is it normal for a school to not have implant cases be a requirement? Or are most schools this way?

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[DOC YANKEM]

I don’t know any schools that don’t require implants to graduate. The quota for implants are low and different for each school.


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[Anothercalidds]

I don’t know any schools that don’t require implants to graduate. The quota for implants are low and different for each school.


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Roseman doesn’t require and the actually scares me. Doesn’t this say something bout the curriculum?

 

[Anothercalidds]

At most schools, you will not place implants.

So which is it? Cuz the other dude said most schools do....

 

[Anothercalidds]

He’s wrong. Generally speaking, schools with perio/omfs/prosth residencies will not allow students to place implants. They will let you plan, and may let you assist/drill after pilot holes are made, but at most schools you won’t be the primary operator. I don’t think implant placement is a requirement, however implant restorations will likely be at some schools.


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At USC the third year student said all of her classmates had done an implant at least once. She had done it 3 times personally. She said they’ve taught them to push push push for implants all day.

It’s so weird.. how can someone graduate and become a dentist, and not know how to do an implant ??? This scares me. Do you learn after dental school? Who’s supposed to teach u. Every general dentist I’ve had has been able to do implants. I’m confused

 

[Anothercalidds]

More schools are going towards placing them, but it's still not the norm. I have heard though that if you push and show that you are competent and want to place implants, you may have a chance to.
We have to take CE or do residencies to really learn how to place them.

So what exactly are the MAJOR requirements that u need to be competent in after graduating ? Just doing a filling and give a good cleaning? Lol
Do u get to do root canals?

 

[Advance]

I don’t know any schools that don’t require implants to graduate. The quota for implants are low and different for each school.


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My school doesn’t require the students to place them but we do make surgical guides and get to restore them after the residents place them.

 

[stitcherator]

At USC the third year student said all of her classmates had done an implant at least once. She had done it 3 times personally. She said they’ve taught them to push push push for implants all day.

It’s so weird.. how can someone graduate and become a dentist, and not know how to do an implant ??? This scares me. Do you learn after dental school? Who’s supposed to teach u. Every general dentist I’ve had has been able to do implants. I’m confused

lol you dont have to know how to place an implant as a GP, thats the beauty of GP you can just refer out.

 

[Manic324]

Hey guys. Implants are so common these days, and I feel like it should be a requirement? Is it normal for a school to not have implant cases be a requirement? Or are most schools this way?

Placing implants is definitely not the norm for a dental student. Most schools you will never get to do this. Assist maybe, and definitely restore the tooth once the implant is placed, but no. A GP who does implants with no additional training after dental school sounds like an idiot.

Those that do so responsibly probably did some sort of CE courses after school (that hopefully had a lot of hands on instruction) or a GPR/ AEGD. A lot of AEGDs and GPRs are implant heavy and thats where you really learn. Not during dental school. The USC example of someone placing 3 during school sounds super rare, and placing 3 implants does not make you proficient to do so alone in private practice. That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[lucky.gunner]

Correct me if I am wrong but I heard that most of the complications in implants happen in few years after procedure when the students are long gone. So I do not think it is very responsible for a dental school to require its students to do implants to graduate.

 

[Anothercalidds]

Wait what

My school doesn’t require the students to place them but we do make surgical guides and get to restore them after the residents place them.

wait what. I was literally being sarcastic. Is this true? All u learn is how to do cleanings and filling a cavity!?!?!! Theres no wayyyy

 

[Advance]

Wait what

wait what. I was literally being sarcastic. Is this true? All u learn is how to do cleanings and filling a cavity!?!?!! Theres no wayyyy

Lol no. The licensing exam (WREB) requires you to do some fillings, endo and perio but you do much more than that during your clinical years.

 

[dyesht]

At USC the third year student said all of her classmates had done an implant at least once. She had done it 3 times personally. She said they’ve taught them to push push push for implants all day.

It’s so weird.. how can someone graduate and become a dentist, and not know how to do an implant ??? This scares me. Do you learn after dental school? Who’s supposed to teach u. Every general dentist I’ve had has been able to do implants. I’m confused

Can you specify what you mean by "do" an implant? Did the USC student place the implant and restore it or just tx plan and restore it?

 

[cron7]

It’s so weird.. how can someone graduate and become a dentist, and not know how to do an implant ??? This scares me. Do you learn after dental school? Who’s supposed to teach u. Every general dentist I’ve had has been able to do implants. I’m confused

Most schools have you place at most 2-3 implants.

Ask any DS3 how confident they felt about crowns, fillings, and extractions after doing 2-3 of them and you'll get a good idea of the value gained from placing a couple implants.

 

[Vicviper]

I feel like there is no way that most schools are having you place an implant as a hard requirement. Restore definitely, but not place. If you place one in dental school, that would be awesome, but I feel more the exception than the rule. Many dental school educations are suffering enough with just getting people to do enough fillings and crowns, and training people to do extractions. Most GP's do not even do extractions, and so most GP's definitely do not place implants. I've been hearing stories from graduating 4th years from many big name schools that say that they're doing under 30 restorations to graduate, and extracting less than ten teeth, so I'd rather dental schools focus on the basics, haha.

 

[sjv]

At USC the third year student said all of her classmates had done an implant at least once. She had done it 3 times personally. She said they’ve taught them to push push push for implants all day.

Can you specify what you mean by "do" an implant? Did the USC student place the implant and restore it or just tx plan and restore it?

It is a case by case basis, if the implant is able to be placed by a student, it will be placed by a student. The graduation requirement is to work up a minimum of 2 seperate implant placements and 2 seperate restorations, the latter of each being the competency. Usually most cases end up being more than 2 total.

 

[Svart Aske]

Placing implants is not exactly rocket science... The challenge is the planning and understanding the restorative aspects. Placing a couple of implants as an undergrad (with a faculty holding your hand) doesn't mean much. Every single private practice clinician who is placing implants learned the skill from residency or CE.

What's actually disturbing is that students are graduating without having done any endo on real patients.

 

[dyesht]

Agreed. All these new schools are allowing students earn their competencies on their first attempt, and graduating students that have done under 5 of most major dental treatments. I.e. crowns, dentures, Endo, etc. I have a friend at a new private school that graduated with 12 extractions. That’s frightening. I’m happy I went to a school with # requirements and competencies.


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It would be nice to see the grad requirements at some of the schools. I'm sure someone has complied a list somewhere

 

[Manic324]

Yeah it would be interesting to see. I think most people would be surprised without how little dental students are doing. Most schools are shifting to competency based, because they just can't get enough patients for numbered requirements.

That’s definitely the case at Tufts, the class sizes keep increasing and the patient pool keeps decreasing

 

[Bernie Sanders]

Yeah it would be interesting to see. I think most people would be surprised without how little dental students are doing. Most schools are shifting to competency based, because they just can't get enough patients for numbered requirements.

dead on. and it's funny because like if you do a set of complete dentures, you comp the next set you do. Not sure you can be competent after just one set lol.
i feel that schools also push the comprehensive care b.s. too much. who wants to wait 4 or 5 appts before your crown gets started.

 

[schmoob]

I think this thread is good evidence that dental schools are all the same. Hence, the cheapest school argument trumps all.

 

[oralcare123]

Correct me if I am wrong but I heard that most of the complications in implants happen in few years after procedure when the students are long gone. So I do not think it is very responsible for a dental school to require its students to do implants to graduate.

The most dangerous happen during placement

 

[free99]

I think this thread is good evidence that dental schools are all the same. Hence, the cheapest school argument trumps all.

THIS over & over & over & over

 

[dyesht]

THIS over & over & over & over

A negligible sample size of students saying they've done less than average requirements is not good evidence of every dental school. So you would go to Howard over UCSF, since Howard is cheaper? You get out what you put into dental school. If you sit around wishing certain cases fall in your lap then you're probably one of the many that think the extra year at GPR/AEGD is a good idea.

 

[dyesht]

.... you can only get so much out of dental school if you have a patient list of 30. You’re assuming every dental school provides students with equal opportunity (which is absolutely false), and completely ignoring the fact that patient population is the biggest factor in number and variety of procedures students do. Everyone should be required to do a GPR/AEGD with how little people are doing today.

Let me guess, you’ll just learn everything from CE? Sorry but you can’t learn how to do everything on a weekend trip to Cali with some bros from dental school.


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I never said schools provide students with equal opportunity. I literally said the opposite in that you get what you put into dental school. If you are a go getter and push for certain procedures, you will get good experience. I agree that a lot of people in school need more help, but if you half ass dental school just to pass and become a dentist, you will know little, like you're saying.

 

[kingme23]

I never said schools provide students with equal opportunity. I literally said the opposite in that you get what you put into dental school. If you are a go getter and push for certain procedures, you will get good experience. I agree that a lot of people in school need more help, but if you half ass dental school just to pass and become a dentist, you will know little, like you're saying.

Having been through most of dental school, I don’t care how much of a go getter you are, you aren’t gonna be that much better off than everyone else come graduation. Are you seeing 15+ patients per day? Juggling multiple ops at a time? Are you doing root canals, then building up the tooth then crowning in the same visit? I think I already know the answer to these questions, since every dental school has the same limitations they put on students. It doesn’t matter if you did 100 more fillings than everyone else in the class, you’ll probably do that many in your first 2 weeks of private practice. Just because you do a few cool cases, doesn’t mean you know everything you need to know about dentistry. IMO everyone has a lot to learn still and those people who didn’t do as much in dental school will catch up quick in the real world.

 

[Svart Aske]

Not sure where the GPR/AEGD bashing comes from. I did a GPR because I cared about refining my skills and gaining confidence doing certain procedures in a setting where I can afford to make mistakes. I was able to do tori removal, GBR, crown lengthening, complex rehab etc. in residency. Even though I don't routinely do many of the specialist procedures in private practice that I did in residency, I at least now know the details and technical challenges involved well enough that I can better communicate with my patients and referrals.

Ultimately a new dentist who didn't do a residency may end up just as qualified as somebody who did. But a year of lost opportunity in income is worth it to people who care enough about becoming a better clinician before going out into practice. To insinuate that residencies are for slackers is truly idiotic.