implants

[cusp of carabelli]

i just found out today from one of the oral surgery profs that starting this year temple will be allowing us undergrads to be doing implant surgeries as well as some bone regeneration/transplant surgeries and also possibly some sinus repositioning surgeries. I think this is gonna be a pretty cool experience and a certain number of people will actually be certified to do these surgeries upon graduation as well. good news for whoever chooses to come to temple in the coming years!...

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[oms fan]

At UNLV, we are going to be getting a class this summer on implants (an entire course). I've been told we will be doing them in the clinic as well. I don't know about sinus lifts but I hope so!! Pretty cool stuff...

 

[3rdMolarRoller]

there is more to implants than just one class. NYU has a 2 year program that you take while you practice. To be admittied you need a min of 3 years out of school experience. I'm sure for basic implants what they will teach you and myself here at NYU for the undergrad level is ok. But for the serious cases you will need further training. You need to be trainined under a watchful eye for the hard cases. Oh yeah, the equipment to do them cost some $$$. What they do here is you purchase the equipment and NYUCD worked a deal where the company will also give you enough material to do 20 implants at no charge. So essential you make a profit by buying the equipment, bec when you place 20 implants...well thats some serious cash flow!

 

[oms fan]

there is more to implants than just one class.

I wasn't trying to suggest that one class is enough to learn all there is about implants. I was only posting what is happening at my school...it is a new dental school so we are sort of hearing what courses we are taking as we go. I am sure there will be more instruction and the cases we will do as pre-doctoral students will be at a level commensurate with our abilities. I certainly understand the complexity and potential complications that can arise from dental implants.

 

[toothcaries]

do u need to be certified to place implants?

 

[Col Sanders]

At UNLV, we are going to be getting a class this summer on implants (an entire course). I've been told we will be doing them in the clinic as well. I don't know about sinus lifts but I hope so!! Pretty cool stuff...

OMS FAN is right its true, I have already treatment planned my first implant case with the patient I had on wed, I extract #3 in late July and then will be working with the oms dept. to do the implant in late fall, we may not be trained to be completely to be able to handle every implant case, but we will have alot of exposure which is good and more than most schools.
The thing is, my patient was a candidate for either a three unit bridge or an implant. Both cost about the same. Its great, I should be able to talk all my patients with good perio into implants over bridges and get a ton of exposure before I am done in 06.

 

[toothcaries]

does "doing" mean restoring...or actually placing the implant?

 

[Col Sanders]

does "doing" mean restoring...or actually placing the implant?

I am not sure yet, especially for this first one. I imagine I wont do the actual placing myself the first few times, but I am sure I will be heavily involved during the procedure itself and planning. Before I am done here I should be able to handle them, although I am sure many students here will not. I am rather motivated though. I am fully aware of the possible need for further CE courses after school for more complicated cases.
Its been nice being in the first class when it comes to procedures. Out of necessity boundaries have not yet been defined within our curriculum. For example our class has had to handle the emergency clinic right now because we have no upperclassmen so since clinic started in may many have had multiple extraction experiences, and pulpectomies. I had a patient two weeks ago whom I extracted 3 teeth from and I am still in my second year(almost done though).

 

[toothcaries]

wow.
sounds exciting being in that first class..



hmmm..
i'm guessing most dental schools are similar.
at my uni for example...you would restore all the implant cases in your practice..
..really nothing special about.

and i believe many programs also offer clinical electives covering implant dentistry. (at least at osu)

 

[DrJeff]

What you'll all likely see as you get exposure to impants(both placement surgeries and the restorative phase) is that to do them is quite easy, but to do them well is where experienec and all the "little things" that you pick up on after many implants comes into play

Basically, from the surgical side (big generalization here now) its just raise a small flap, drill a couple of progressively larger diameter holes in the bone at the proper angle, insert the implant and suture the flap closed.

Restoratively, basically unscrew the healing abutment, snap an impression coping on, take a standard crown and bridge impression, torque down the abumtment, have you assistant make a temporary, and see them in a few weeks to cement the final crown.

After you've done a few and are comfortable with the steps, impnats are actually easier than traditional crown and bridge!