I have a tooth that needs to come out. My dentist has been studying dental implants and said he’d give me a significant discount if he could use me as one of his early cases, to gain experience. He’s willing to do it for almost half price. I’m considering it, but wanted to get another dentists opinion on this first. Do you think I should do it?
Brianna G. – West Virginia
Brianna,
I won’t tell you what to do, but will give you some things to consider. First, every dentist starts somewhere. Just because they’re new doesn’t mean that won’t do a decent job. However, you’ll want to make sure your dentist has the proper training.
This is a complicated procedure. A lot can go wrong with it. You want to be sure he can handle the procedure. If he doesn’t have significant post graduate training from places like Misch Institute, International Congress of Oral Implantologists, or LVI, then this will not be the best dentist for you.
Plus, you might want to find out if he has the surgical training too. Though dentists often farm out the surgical end of the procedure, it can lead to additional problems. There will have to be excellent communication between the two of them or the implant can be improperly placed.
This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.