Break into the dental implant market – DR Nik Sisodia
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 3rd July 2018
Britain’s overall dental health has vastly improved over time. Forty years ago, 37% of adults had no natural teeth, compared to just 6% now. However, there is still room for improvement, as the latest statistics show that 74% of all adults have had at least one tooth extracted.[i]Tooth loss can have a negative impact on an individual’s masticatory efficacy, which can lead to further problems in general health and well being – but beyond this, tooth loss can also lower a person’s self-confidence and self-image. It is, therefore, vital that the dental profession provides reliable solutions to edentulism, so as to improve patients’ overall quality of life.
Dental implants, for example, are demonstrably effective in treating partial or complete edentulism in patients. As a result, the demand for such treatment has grown substantially, with the global dental implant market now worth approximately £22.8 billion.[ii]As more research is carried out and technology advances further than ever before, treatment will undoubtedly improve and enable practitioners to deliver more predictable results and enhanced aesthetics. Consequently, the demand for implants is likely to continue increasing and this presents a lucrative opportunity for many practitioners to expand their services.
Although implant dentistry has evolved to become an indispensible part of clinical practice, not all practitioners have the resources or relative expertise to offer comprehensive treatment to patients. Moreover, the General Dental Council (GDC) regulates such procedures by requiring practitioners to complete relevant training before they are permitted to provide implant dentistry.[iii]
With regard to implant surgery, there is currently a range of ducational courses and training pathways offered to the profession, but it can be difficult for some practitioners to access these due to limited availability, expenditure or time constraints.[iv]Therefore, it is easy to understand some practitioners’ frustrations, as a lack of easy access to relevant training in implant surgery means that they are unable to provide dental implant treatment, thereby putting patients in a position to seek treatment elsewhere.
Fortunately, it is not always necessary for practitioners to know how to place implants in order to retain or grow their patient base. Offering restorative procedures gives practitioners the opportunity to integrate implantology into everyday practice, without having to undertake comprehensive surgical training. The restorative aspect can be completed with very little outlay – as there are no surgical procedures involved, practitioners do not require a lot in the way of expensive new facilities and equipment.
Effectively, practitioners would diagnose and plan treatment, refer the case out to a trusted clinic for implant placement, and then see the patient again for the final restorative stage. This allows the referring practitioner to remain integral to the patient’s overall care. In order to carry out this procedure competently, practitioners would be required to attend a dedicated Implant Restoration Course (IRC) where the necessary skills and experience can be gained. A well-run IRC will not only arm practitioners with the essential theoretical and practical knowledge of implant dentistry, but also introduce them to potential referral clinicians.
In this way, delegates can establish a professional relationship with a trusted and experienced implantologist, who will be able to place implants in the future but also provide support and mentorship. As working professionals themselves, referral clinicians will understand the need for flexibility – so they will more than likely offer training at convenient times to allow practitioners the chance to learn new skills, without disrupting everyday practice.
It is important that practitioners find a mentor who is both knowledgeable and approachable. If the mentor is to undertake referral cases in the future, their ongoing support will be vital to your success as a mentee. It will be comforting to know that there is always help available to correctly plan and execute implant restoration.
Of course, choosing the right IRC is crucial to ensure practitioners get the most out of their time and investment. Ten Dental’s IRC, for example, is a modular course aimed at aspiring dentists who wish to expand their services, without having to fully commit to a surgical learning course. Ten Dental’s IRC is made up of a series of lectures, demonstrations and hands-on sessions, providing vital information and practical experience to enable practitioners to undertake implant restorations in their own practices.
Implant restorations can be an exceptional stopgap to practitioners who do not necessarily have the time, budget or inclination to participate in comprehensive implant training. Some practitioners are surprised to find that this approach is more enjoyable, less stressful, and equally as effective in retaining an established patient-base. Moreover, a good IRC can lay strong foundations for further training, making the dental implant market far more accessible to practitioners who wish to remain competitive by providing a reliable solution to the ever-increasing demand for treatment.
For more information about Ten Dental and The Implant Restoration Course visit Facebook/Implant Restoration Course-IRC, email: courses@tendental.com, visit www.implant-restoration.comor call 020 7622 7610
[i]Oral Health Foundation. (2018) National Smile Month: Facts and Figures. Link: http://www.nationalsmilemonth.org/facts-figures/. [Last accessed: 02.03.18].
[ii]Statista. (2018) Estimated global dental market from 2016 to 2021 (in billion US dollars). Link: https://www.statista.com/statistics/731751/global-dental-market-size/. [Last accessed: 02.03.18].
[iii]FGDP. (2016) Training Standards in Implant Dentistry. Link: https://www.fgdp.org.uk/sites/fgdp.org.uk/files/docs/in-practice/fgdp%20implant%20training%20standards%202016.pdf. [Last accessed: 02.03.18].
[iv]Association of Dental Implantology. (2012) A Dentist’s Guide to Implantology. Link: http://www.adi.org.uk/profession/dentist_guide/a-dentists-guide-to-implantology.pdf. [Last accessed: 02.03.18].
