Dental implantology has been of interest to me since I was a teenager. My father and uncle were dentists, and I wanted to be able to expand my horizons into a sector of dentistry they haven’t explored yet.
It’s a challenging sector, but I had big ambitions. During my time as a general dentist, I encountered big dilemmas when the cases in front of me pointed towards replacing teeth with a solution like a removable denture, which I personally did not always favour. I always think about Dr Per-Ingvar Brånemark, the father of modern dental implantology, and his quote, “No one should die with their teeth in a glass of water”.
So, I went looking for the best dental implantology course for me, and there were various needs that I felt had to be addressed throughout.
The chance to fail
Young dentists at this time are looking for a safe environment in which they can practise implantology and gain experience. With a lot of talk about patient complaints and the litigation that surrounds us, the fear of failure can be demoralising. It may hold you back from making progress as a clinician, and in turn stop you from helping a greater number of patients.
When you want to take on a new skill and expand into an area like implant dentistry, it’s important to find a course that gives you the opportunity to put what you learn into practice. This means a well-rounded learning experience, where you can combine both clinical and theoretical aspects. After all, dentistry is a practical sector of medicine, and theory is great, but you need to be confident in applying what you have learnt in a realistic situation.
It’s essential to find tutors and a curriculum that allow you to feel safe and confident in trying new things and, most importantly, take calculated risks. They are needed in real-life dentistry, and it gives you the opportunity to understand and address complications effectively, which further enhances your capabilities.
Human Factors
When wanting to learn more about implant dentistry, I think it’s also important to consider the relationship between clinicians and patients. When we think about a fear of failure, and how it impacts the way we seek new challenges, we must address the source – the trust built between dentists and patients.
Human factors, down to the form of communication you use, how you gain a patient’s trust, and how you show empathy, are essential to master. Consider that compared to other surgical sectors, dentists often work with patients who are not fully sedated. Operating in that situation requires different approaches, and your chosen training course should equip you with the confidence to provide the most appropriate care here.
You must also feel able to manage complications when they arise with a calm demeanour. Patients need to be able to trust that whilst things may not always go as planned, you can provide a solution. If panic wins, the whole treatment becomes a failure.
For me, as a young dentist, the psychology of and communication in dentistry make up at least 40% of the success of every treatment. A course that allows you to practise this, alongside learning new clinical skills and techniques, can best prepare you for placing implants on your own in the future.
Finding the right course
Having hands-on experience is crucial in my opinion, and courses that provide the chance to watch live surgeries are also brilliant. They allow you to see everything that you have studied put into practice, for a greater understanding. Working with your own patients, with support from tutors, is also invaluable. It gives you full responsibility, and an excellent chance to enhance your skills whilst experiencing a true implant clinic in a setting where you can have full accountability, but you never feel abandoned.
In the end, the difference makers will be your tutors. Speaking to the people leading the course, or clinicians who have worked with them previously, is a fantastic chance to see if they are right for you. Look for tutors who welcome conversation and debate without judgement, as you will always need to discuss what you don’t know in order to grow.
I found this support from Professor Cemal Ucer, who was a tutor of the MSc in Dental Implantology through the ICE Postgraduate Dental Institute. Professor Ucer has 25 years of teaching, research and clinical experience in implantology, and the former ADI president supports clinicians at all ranges of experience. The MSc in Dental Implantology, like each of his courses, is based on research and academic evidence, and provides clinicians with the core clinical skills and competency to perform both the restorative and surgical aspects of implant dentistry.
After finding the right course for me, I stand confident in my abilities to place implants in my own practice, knowing that I can do that safely and efficiently. I am also comfortable with my own limitations, too. When clinicians are equipped with the appropriate clinical experience and patient manner that brings success, the fear of failure can subside, and brilliant restorations can be placed every single day.
Please contact Professor Ucer at ucer@icedental.institute or Mel Hay at mel@mdic.co
01612 371842
www.ucer-clinic.dental
Author Bio:
Dr Georgios Karageorgiou graduated from the Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy in 2019, and practices dentistry at Westwood and Cockram Dental Practice, Kingswinford, Birmingham. He is passionate about providing safe and high-quality implant dentistry, having already completed a PG Certificate in Dental Implantology, and he is currently undertaking an MSc in Dental Implantology.
