Essential Tips to Consider When Choosing an Implant Dentist

September 1, 2019

If you are experiencing one or more missing teeth, it’s important to get them replaced. There are many options for replacement, but dental implants have emerged as one of the most popular choices as they are durable and offer a very natural appearance and feel.

The problem is that any Encinitas dentist can claim to be an implant dentist, but you can’t trust just any dentist with implants as it requires accuracy and precision. It is an invasive and surgical procedure, which needs expertise, training, and experience. It’s important to choose your implant dentist in Encinitas, CA, carefully so that you can increase your chances of successful implant installation. Let’s explore some tips that will help in choosing the right implant dentist.

• Inquire About Training

The first thing that you need to do is look for their credentials and training. The dentists who are officially trained and eligible to perform implant dentistry are prosthodontists, oral surgeons, periodontitis, and general dentists with an advanced degree in general dentistry. All of these professionals undergo a massive training of 3 to 6 years at the university or the hospital-based post-graduate programs along with board certification process. You must ask the dentist about their training before going ahead.

• Associations

You must know that implant dentistry is not recognized specialty by the ADA, and membership with the American Academy of Implant Dentistry alone doesn’t guarantee that a dentist is good. It is only a reflection about his commitment as he is interested in investing in the membership.

• Photographs of Previous Cases

Once you have shortlisted a few options for an implant dentist in Encinitas, you must look for the before and after photographs of the cases that they have handled previously. This helps in getting an idea of the kind of work the dentist in 92024, has done before. An experienced and reputed implant dentist will have an album or online gallery of the before and after pictures of their patients.

• Explore the Reviews

This is the digital era, and all the information is available online. One of the best ways of knowing about any service is checking the online reviews. The reviews work as word of mouth for the dentists. Though the online reviews may not always be credible, they will at least offer some insight. You should consider them while making the decision, but should not completely rely on them.

• Technology Friendly

Just like any other filed, dentistry is evolving with each passing day. When you look for a potential implant dentist, ask about the technology they have at their dental offices such as digital x-rays, intraoral cameras, dental lasers, and chairside monitors. This will assure you about the kind of treatment you would be receiving at the dental office.

• Sedation/ Anesthesia

There are many patients who are anxious and scared of dental procedures. For such patients, the dentist should be able to offer sedation dentistry. There are various types of sedation ranging from moderate or mild, such as nitrous oxide, oral sedation, and IV sedation. The dentist must be able to offer all of the above, depending on your individual case and the severity of the procedure being performed.

• Comfort

Once you have shortlisted a few options, it’s time to meet the potential dentists. You must meet with 2 to 3 of them and try to gauge your comfort with them. The dentist must try to make you feel relaxed and discuss the procedure at length. He must be ready to address all your concerns and assist you at every step. If you don’t feel comfortable with a dentist, it’s time to move on to the next option.

• Treatment Plan in Written

Once you have finalized your implant dentist, you must get the entire plan of treatment written on a piece of paper. Before you commit to any treatment, it is always recommended to get it written along with an approximate duration of the treatment so that in case of any variance, you can raise a concern.

• Getting a Second Opinion

Even if you are satisfied with a particular dentist, you must get a second opinion so that there is no confusion in your mind regarding the treatment.

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