A thousand dental implants later
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 1st June 2018
It’s no secret that the design, availability and success of modern dental implants have developed exponentially since their inception in the 1950s. But it has been quite a journey… one that Dr Will Carter has been on himself for the last decade or so.
He considers the key changes he has seen with regards to dental implantology throughout his career so far:
“The improvements in manufacturing processes using CAD/CAM systems have created better fitting, stronger and more predictable restorations. Alongside these have been the advent and development of innovations such as the All-on-4® treatment concept, which enables a patient’s damaged teeth to be removed and a new set of teeth to be fitted onto implants on the same day.”
A Partner at Queensway Dental Clinic in Teesside and Tyne and Wear, Dr Carter works as part of an extensive and highly successful team of fellow implant dentists and support staff. Dr Carter recently celebrated placing more than 1,000 dental implants and he did this while enjoying exceptional success rates that are well above both the national and global estimated averages.
“I have now placed 1,017 implants with a cumulative success rate of 99.8%,” says Dr Carter. “In total, only 11 of these implants failed, of which two were replaced with bridges and nine were replaced with new implants free of charge.
“Over a six-year period these results are amazing because they include more complex surgeries where bone grafting was performed, as well as those cases where patients were smokers or had diabetes.”
When asked what he feels has led to this success, Dr Carter believes that the improved patient outcomes are multifactorial, but that advanced professional training and education have a great deal to do with it.
Dr Carter’s list of credentials speaks volumes. After qualifying from Newcastle Dental School, he completed further training at the Royal Victoria Infirmary Dental Hospital before completing a three-year Masters degree in Implantology and another Masters degree in Cosmetic Restorative Dentistry. Dr Carter also holds a sedation diploma, graduated from the Kois Center in Seattle, USA, and has completed surgical bone grafting courses in Berne, Switzerland, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Lisbon, Portugal. In 2016, Dr Carter received National recognition for his skills when he won ‘Young Dentist of the Year’.
Dr Carter explores some of the other factors he believes have contributed to his success:
“Treatment planning for implants is key. At Queensway Dental, we take time to plan and assess patients accurately using CBCT scanning to determine volume and quality of bone. We also stabilise patients’ mouths to ensure they are free from underlying infection or pathology before proceeding with advanced cosmetic treatment. Our ethos is that we listen and talk to patients about their oral health in a professional and honest way so that a comprehensive assessment can lead to bespoke, high quality prevention and treatment. We don’t cut corners and we don’t rush.
“Maintenance is also very important and we have an experienced team of dental hygienists and therapists who provide effective cleaning around dental implants and help improve patients’ home care routines. It is this element of after care that probably has the most impact on longevity of implant restorations.
“Finally, we only use the very best, most reliable implant system – from Nobel Biocare – and fit the highest quality of laboratory-made restorations. I have always chosen products from Nobel Biocare because it is a well-established, trusted brand that has remained at the forefront of implant technology since its inception. We know its systems are always going to be available for patients, so their implants and restorations are ‘future-proof’ to some extent. We hear stories of other manufacturers having problems with implants and withdrawing components or tools from the market and it means patients may suffer if they have one of those cheaper systems placed. This is not the case for those with Nobel Biocare implants.
“To complement this, the on-site laboratory means we have a better system of in-house quality control, so we know that only the best materials and processes are used from start to finish. Our patients visit the laboratory directly for advanced photography and shade matching to ensure the best aesthetic result can be achieved. Same-day alterations and additions can also be carried out on any restorations.”
In addition to caring for his own patients, Dr Carter is happy to accept referrals for dental implants from colleagues. He is also a mentor involved with the SmileTube.tv Ultimate Year Implant Course – which is supported by Nobel Biocare – whereby he shares his extensive experience to help other clinicians place and restore implants. Combining this with lecturing at various events, Dr Carter has had every opportunity to near perfect his implantology techniques and obtain outstanding success rates. From the team at Nobel Biocare, we would like to congratulate Dr Carter on his success so far!
For further details about Queensway Dental Clinic or to refer a patient, please visit www.queensway.co.uk or call 01642 554667
For more information, contact Nobel Biocare on 0208 756 3300, or visit www.nobelbiocare.com
