What Kind Of Dentist Puts In Implants?
You need a dental implant, and you are trying to choose the right professional for the job. The list of dentists who claim to place implants is long. General dentists advertise implant services. Periodontists list implants among their surgical procedures. Oral surgeons perform them routinely. Some prosthodontists place implants as well as restore them. The titles blur together, and you wonder whether the type of dentist matters for your outcome.
It matters a great deal. The training, experience, and focus of the dentist who places your implant directly affect the likelihood of success, the aesthetics of the result, and the management of any complications. This guide explains every type of dentist who places dental implants, what their credentials mean, the scope of their training, and how to match the complexity of your case to the right provider.
By the end of this article, you will understand the differences between the various implant providers and be equipped to make an informed choice. The goal is not to steer you toward the most expensive or most credentialed provider, but toward the provider whose skills align with your specific needs.
General Dentists Who Place Implants
General dentists are the primary care providers of dentistry. Many have expanded their skills to include implant surgery, and for straightforward cases in healthy patients, a well-trained general dentist can achieve excellent results.
Education and Training
A general dentist holds a Doctor of Dental Surgery or Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from an accredited dental school. This four-year post-baccalaureate education covers all aspects of dentistry, including a foundation in oral surgery. However, most dental school graduates are not competent to place implants independently upon graduation. The surgical training in dental school provides exposure to basic principles but not the depth of experience needed for implant placement.
General dentists who place implants acquire this competence through post-graduate continuing education. The extent and quality of this training vary enormously. A general dentist may have taken a weekend introductory course and placed a handful of implants under supervision before offering the service to patients. Another may have completed a year-long comprehensive implant program with live patient surgery, earned fellowship credentials from an implant organization, and placed thousands of implants over a decades-long career.
The patient cannot assume that a general dentist who advertises implant services has deep training. The patient must ask specific questions about training, experience, and case volume.
When a General Dentist Is the Right Choice
For a straightforward single implant in a healthy patient with good bone volume, a general dentist with adequate implant training can provide care equal in quality to any specialist. The advantage of having one dentist manage both the surgical and restorative phases is continuity of care. The same clinician plans the case, places the implant, and fabricates the crown. Communication between the surgical and restorative phases is seamless because it occurs within a single brain.
General dentists typically charge lower fees than specialists for implant placement. For a patient paying out of pocket, this cost differential can be significant without necessarily sacrificing quality.
When to Look Beyond a General Dentist
Complex cases demand specialist expertise. If you require extensive bone grafting, if you have medical conditions that complicate surgery, if the implant is in a highly aesthetic area where millimeter-level precision determines the cosmetic outcome, or if you need full-arch reconstruction, a specialist is generally the better choice.
A general dentist who recognizes the limits of their training and refers complex cases appropriately is demonstrating professional integrity. A general dentist who never refers and claims to handle every case is a cause for concern.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are the surgical specialists of dentistry. They complete the longest and most intensive training pathway of any dental specialist who places implants.
Training Pathway
After four years of dental school, an oral surgery resident enters a hospital-based residency program lasting four to six years. Some programs grant a medical degree in addition to the dental degree. The residency includes rotations in general surgery, plastic surgery, anesthesia, otolaryngology, and trauma surgery. Residents manage complex facial trauma, jaw deformities, oral pathology, and reconstruction.
At the conclusion of this training, an oral surgeon has performed hundreds or thousands of surgical procedures under general anesthesia. Implant placement is a significant component of most oral surgery practices, and the volume of implant procedures performed by an oral surgeon is typically far higher than that of a general dentist.
The Oral Surgeon’s Role in Implant Dentistry
Oral surgeons handle the full spectrum of implant surgery. They are the go-to providers for complex bone grafting, including major ridge augmentations, sinus lifts, and block grafts harvested from the patient’s own jaw or hip. They manage implants in patients with medical comorbidities. They perform zygomatic implant surgery for the severely atrophic maxilla. They handle implant complications, including failed implants that require removal and reconstruction.
For patients who want deep sedation or general anesthesia for implant surgery, an oral surgeon is the provider best equipped to deliver it safely. Oral surgeons hold permits to administer general anesthesia and deep sedation in their offices, and they are trained to manage airway emergencies.
Collaboration with Restorative Dentists
Most oral surgeons do not place the final crowns on implants. They perform the surgery and then refer the patient back to a restorative dentist for the prosthetic phase. This division of labor requires good communication between the surgeon and the restorative dentist. The restorative dentist provides a prescription for implant position, often in the form of a surgical guide, and the surgeon executes that plan.
Patients who choose an oral surgeon for implant placement should expect to see a separate restorative dentist for the crown or prosthesis. The two providers must work as a team.
Periodontists
Periodontists are specialists in the supporting structures of the teeth, the gums, the periodontal ligament, and the jawbone. Their expertise in these tissues makes them natural implant surgeons.
Training Pathway
A periodontist completes three years of specialty training in an accredited residency program after dental school. This training focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of periodontal disease, the placement of dental implants, and surgical procedures to regenerate lost gum and bone tissue. Periodontists perform hundreds of implant placements during their residency.
Periodontists are experts in soft tissue management. They understand how to manipulate gum tissue to create natural-looking results, and they are trained in the connective tissue grafting and soft tissue augmentation techniques that create an ideal aesthetic framework for implant restorations.
The Periodontist’s Role in Implant Dentistry
A periodontist is an excellent choice when the health of the gums and the appearance of the soft tissue are primary concerns. For an implant in the front of the mouth, where the smile line exposes the gum, a periodontist’s expertise in soft tissue aesthetics is particularly valuable.
Periodontists also manage peri-implantitis, the inflammatory disease that affects the tissues around implants. If you develop a problem with an existing implant, a periodontist has the specialized instruments and surgical techniques to treat the infection and attempt to salvage the implant.
Like oral surgeons, most periodontists collaborate with restorative dentists for the crown phase of treatment. The periodontist handles the surgical placement and soft tissue management, and the restorative dentist handles the abutment and crown.
Prosthodontists
Prosthodontists are specialists in restoring and replacing teeth. They are the architects of implant treatment, designing the final restoration and often directing the surgical placement.
Training Pathway
Prosthodontic training requires three years of post-doctoral education after dental school. The curriculum covers fixed prosthodontics like crowns and bridges, removable prosthodontics like dentures, implant prosthodontics, and maxillofacial prosthetics. Prosthodontists are trained in the comprehensive management of complex dental rehabilitation, including full-mouth reconstruction.
Some prosthodontists complete additional training in implant surgery and place implants as well as restore them. Others focus exclusively on the restorative phase and work with a surgical partner. Either way, the prosthodontist typically takes the lead in treatment planning for complex implant cases.
The Prosthodontist’s Role in Implant Dentistry
The prosthodontist starts with the end in mind. The desired position of the final teeth determines where the implants must be placed. The prosthodontist designs the restoration and then works backward to determine the number, type, and location of implants required to support it. This restorative-driven approach is the modern standard of care for complex implant treatment.
For patients needing full-arch reconstruction, multiple implants, or treatment that involves changes to the bite and jaw relationship, a prosthodontist’s comprehensive perspective is invaluable. The prosthodontist considers the entire stomatognathic system, how the teeth, muscles, and joints function together, and designs an implant restoration that functions harmoniously within that system.
When a prosthodontist also places implants, the patient benefits from having a single provider responsible for both the surgical and restorative phases, with the additional expertise of specialty training in both.
The Team Approach
For many implant patients, particularly those with complex needs, the best care comes from a team of specialists working together.
How the Team Model Works
In a team model, the prosthodontist or restorative dentist develops the treatment plan and directs the case. The surgeon, an oral surgeon or periodontist, performs the implant placement surgery according to that plan. The laboratory technician fabricates the prosthesis according to the prosthodontist’s specifications.
The patient may see the restorative dentist first for the initial consultation and treatment planning. The restorative dentist communicates the plan to the surgeon, often providing a surgical guide that dictates the exact implant positions. The surgeon performs the surgery. After healing, the patient returns to the restorative dentist for the final crown or prosthesis.
Finding a Coordinated Team
Some practices house multiple specialists under one roof. A periodontist and a prosthodontist may work in the same office. An oral surgeon may share space with a restorative dentist. These integrated practices offer convenience and seamless communication.
When the providers are in separate practices, they should have established referral relationships. Ask each provider about their experience working with the other. A surgeon and a restorative dentist who have collaborated on many cases have developed efficient workflows and mutual trust that benefit the patient.
Credentials That Indicate Advanced Implant Training
Regardless of the dentist’s base specialty, certain credentials indicate additional focused training in implant dentistry.
Board Certification in a Specialty
A dentist who is board-certified by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, the American Board of Periodontology, or the American Board of Prosthodontics has passed rigorous examinations beyond the requirements for licensure. Board certification is a voluntary process that demonstrates a commitment to the highest standards of the specialty.
Implant-Specific Fellowship Credentials
The International Congress of Oral Implantologists awards fellowship and diplomate status based on continuing education, case documentation, and examination. The American Academy of Implant Dentistry offers a credentialing pathway leading to board certification in implant dentistry. These credentials indicate that a general dentist or specialist has pursued advanced implant training beyond the minimum continuing education requirements.
Experience and Case Volume
Credentials tell part of the story. Experience tells the rest. A dentist who places five implants a month has a very different level of current competence than one who places fifty. Ask about annual case volume and total career experience. Ask to see photographs of cases similar to yours.
Conclusion
Several types of dentists place implants, including general dentists with implant training, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, periodontists, and some prosthodontists. General dentists are appropriate for straightforward cases in healthy patients. Oral surgeons are the choice for complex surgical cases, patients needing sedation, and extensive bone grafting. Periodontists excel when gum health and soft tissue aesthetics are paramount. Prosthodontists lead complex restorative cases and may also place implants. The best provider for you depends on the complexity of your case, your medical status, and the importance of aesthetics, with a team approach often yielding the best results for complex situations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my regular dentist place my implant?
Many general dentists place implants and can do so successfully for straightforward cases. Ask about their specific implant training, how many they place annually, and whether they would refer a case of your complexity to a specialist.
Do I need an oral surgeon or can a periodontist place my implant?
Both are surgical specialists who place implants. An oral surgeon has broader hospital-based surgical training and is often preferred for complex cases and sedation. A periodontist has specialized expertise in gum tissue management and is an excellent choice for implants in the aesthetic zone.
What is the difference between a prosthodontist and a general dentist for implant crowns?
A prosthodontist has three additional years of specialty training in restoring and replacing teeth. For complex cases, full-arch restorations, and highly aesthetic anterior restorations, a prosthodontist brings advanced expertise that a general dentist may not have.
How many implants should a dentist place per year to maintain competence?
There is no fixed number, but dentists placing fewer than 20 to 30 implants annually may not maintain the regular surgical practice needed for optimal outcomes. Higher volume generally correlates with better outcomes.
Should I see the surgeon or the restorative dentist first?
Ideally, see the restorative dentist first, either a prosthodontist or an experienced general dentist who will make your final crown. This dentist designs the restoration and directs where the implant should be placed. The surgeon then executes that plan.
Additional Resource:
To find board-certified specialists in implant dentistry, visit the American Board of Oral Implantology at https://www.aboi.org.
