The growth of dental implantology
Dental implantology is now an established part of everyday treatment for patients.
It’s also a significant earner for dentists and dental practices. If you are referring work out of your practice, this is income, patient satisfaction and loyalty that you are missing out on.
Remember, doing a yearlong course in dental implantology is mandatory before you can place and restore dental implants (as per GDC guidelines).
So how do you select a dental implantology course?
Is it a live patient course?
First, you must determine whether a course is a true live patient treatment course.
Does the course fee include live patient treatment – or are there separate mentorship fees? This is where doing a bit of digging helps.
Some education providers have got smart now and price courses using different ways.
Tipton Training quotes fees on a per day basis and the fees are all-inclusive. All treatment planning or mentorship fees are covered.
Some providers charge additional mentorship fees or additional fees for materials. Be sure to do your due diligence and ask if there are any additional costs.
It’s important to note here that most implant courses charge and collect the patient fees for themselves. This is regardless of where the patient comes from.
Professional indemnity
Another important criterion to consider is Professional Indemnity. You need to have your own Professional Indemnity, even when you are learning how to place and restore implants.
Speak to your own Professional Indemnity provider – they will give you a tailored quote which is best for you.
Experience matters
Lastly, it’s of utmost importance to consider the topics covered and the experience of the faculty.
There is no easy way of doing this, particularly if you are a young dentist eager to enter the world of dental implants.
Try to pick a course that covers the key aspects of dental implantology, such as: Osseointegration, Treatment Alternatives, Patient Selection, Surgical and Prosthetic Treatment Planning and obviously, live patient treatments.
A common mistake lots of young dentists make is looking for topics which are advanced (e.g. sinus lifts, block grafts). In your first course, you need to learn how to treat simple cases and the complications associated with them.
Just because some courses might include advanced topics in their curriculum, it doesn’t mean it’s the right time for a dentist to study the topic.
Learning how to place dental implants is investing in one of the fastest growing income streams in dentistry. It’s best to focus on learning the correct methods, as opposed to learning advanced methods too quickly.
What can a PG Certificate in Dental Implantology do for you?
Completion of the PG Certificate in Dental Implantology course gives you enhanced knowledge and qualifications. This is desirable to succeed as an implant dentist. If you do the course with Tipton Training, you can place implants and have a qualification at the same time.