Dental Implants Belong to the General Dentist

Should dental implants should be a formal dental specialty? Three of four dentists (77%) say no.

“I don’t think it is necessary to make this a specialty since oral surgeons, periodontists, prosthodontists and general dentists like me all place dental implants, and many restore,” offered one doctor. “I do think fellowship training is good, and credentialing is valuable.”

Though 85% of general dentists oppose having implant dentistry as an official specialty, only 67% of specialists feel the same. While some feel that dental implant surgery should only be done by a specialist, most agree that general dentists are fully capable of restoring implants.

Here are some further comments from dentists on dental implantology:

• “The oral surgeons or periodontists should be placing the implants in the bone – a good restorative dentist can place the dental implant crowns or over- dentures.” (Florida dentist)
• “I do not believe dentists should be placing tooth implants unless they are certified specialists in implantology.” (Alabama dentist)
• “It IS a specialty when done at the highest levels.” (Dental implantologist)
• “Implant dentistry should become a subspecialty recognizing those doctors (specialists and non specialists alike) that have received additional training to perform tooth implant dentistry proficiently.” (Periodontist)
• “Implants are a part of my General Practice, and have been since 1986. I would hate to see certain fractions in dentistry fight over this….i.e., Oral Surgeons, Periodontist, dentists, etc. It WILL be ugly.” (Massachusetts dentist)
• “Implants should be dental school course just as endodontics, periodontics, etc.” (General dentist)
• “The last thing dentistry needs.” (New Jersey dentist)
• “There are enough turf wars about dental implants as it is. No need to have a separate specialty.” (General dentist)
• “The politics of delineating who the ‘specialists’ are is an impossible task.” (New York prosthodontist)
• “Things are good as they are. We should not elevate individuals to royalty status.” (Texas dentist)

Read more: Dental Implants Should Not Be a Specialty, Say Dentists