For successful implant dentistry, it’s all about teamwork
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 14th July 2022
A career in implant dentistry is a lifelong journey, and one where you will constantly be making clinical and educational choices, and facing challenges.
To become a confident implant dentist, you will need to take a methodical approach. First, to get brilliant at the basics – the skills you’ll have been honing since you qualified, like treatment planning and learning how to communicate with patients – then mastering other areas you’ll need for success. Often underestimated is understanding how, perhaps more than in any other field of dentistry, teamwork is critical to good implant outcomes.
The implant team and extended team
So, bring your team along with you, on your lifelong learning journey. Just having them ‘present’ is not enough; their active involvement in aspects of the planning and decision making, as well as the execution and delivery of quality implant therapy is the crucial part.
Your core team will include the general dentist, also dental nurse, dental hygienist and/or therapist and technician. Depending on the structure of the practice, it may also include a treatment or patient coordinator, practice manager and front-desk staff. The extended team will be defined by the nature and complexity of a case and could comprise a maxillofacial surgeon or specialist prosthodontist, for example.
If we take the example of the dental nurse, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence about how it is a positive and very rewarding experience for them, and you. They see it as a ‘step up’ to do something different to ‘everyday’ general dentistry, which will open the door to more training and opportunities for their professional development. A great dental nurse also has the skills to be incredibly good at facilitating successful implant therapy. They are well-informed and knowledgeable, with excellent communication skills and the ability to engage with patients and establish relationships, the cornerstone of quality service and care. A patient with reservations, might find the dental nurse more approachable than a dentist, for talking through concerns and answering questions they’re worried could be perceived as trivial. The benefits to you include having someone by your side who understands the ethics of treatment, also the processes and protocols to follow for smooth, safe and efficient workflows.
Working as one
With the implant team working as one, there will be more acceptance and successful completion of treatment plans. It will allow you to focus on every aspect of the patient’s implant journey, including how to keep the result beautifully maintained and stable, because they are motivated to practise elevated oral hygiene. A cohesive implant team, singing from the same hymn sheet, is the means by which your patients will enjoy the functional and aesthetic benefits of their investment for years to come.
As for what team training could look like, one example is the dental nurse being able ensure asepsis protocols are being followed. Or, in a scenario where others in the practice are unaware you place and restore implants, perhaps you could do a lunch and learn, or similar, to talk through your work and explain what your remits are. There may be a dentist who wants to share the restorative side, for example. When you put the effort into creating an implant team, you will be well prepared when patients say “yes” and they will feel reassured by your confident, coordinated approach.
Choosing your training
Quality implant training will focus on lifelong learning – the very best implant dentists choose a postgraduate course with the mindset of, ‘this is the beginning of my journey’. Look for programmes that have this ethos and that will help you find like-minded mentors to guide you as your career progresses. Pay attention to the calibre of the teaching team – is it compromised of world-class experts, educators and implant dentists who have the required experience and thirst for knowledge? Also consider the course clinical lead, to ensure your values align with theirs and that their priority is to give dentists the opportunity of a lifetime; the first step towards implant success.
In London’s west end – and location is important, too – The One to One Implant Education offers fully accredited postgraduate training to take you from novice to confident implant dentist. A significant portion of the teaching time is dedicated to live surgery, giving you that crucial hands-on element, alongside evidence-based theory and technique. You’ll take away not just knowledge and skills, but also friends for life, and an understanding of the importance of teamwork.
To be a great implant dentist – and a happy and fulfilled one – you will need to create a team around you, who can support you with the planning and delivery of safe, comfortable and enduring treatment. This is a key area and one that is fundamental for building the solid foundations for success.
To reserve your place or to find out more, please visit
https://121implanteducation.co.uk or call 020 7486 0000.
