Traditionally, based on training and experience, a dental specialist such as an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon or a Periodontist would precisely place the dental implant in the exact location, at the correct depth and at the exact angle, and the general dentist (your dentist) would restore or place the crown on the placed implant. However, in some cases, things have changed. Some general dentists, along with all of the other procedures they ordinarily and routinely perform on a day to day basis, are placing and restoring dental implants by themselves, in their general practices.
Any dentist with a diploma can legally place an implant and many do so after relatively brief surgical training. This could be a problem for the patient should unforeseen complications arise during surgery. On the other hand, a dental specialist with surgical training has taken additional years of training to learn proper surgical skills. Dr. Overbeck does not restore implants; she only places them.
The dental specialty boards require high standards of training and performance and ensure them by rigid examinations. Successful applicants receive diplomas in their specialty. To become "board-certified" and then receive "diplomate" status in their particular specialties, additional rigorous testing must be passed before the specialty board. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons take four to five years of residency training after four years of dental school. The recognized standard-setting organization for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons is the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Dr. Overbeck is Board Certified as well as a member and Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
Dr. Overbeck has been placing implants since 1985. It has been the most challenging aspect of her career. After all these years, she is still learning and often faces challenging situations that require the kind of extraordinary experience and skill that only comes with over 22 years of experience. Make sure you are not at the beginning of someone’s learning curve.
Dr. Overbeck regularly places between 200-300 implants per year.
You want the dentist that places your implants to be experienced and knowledgeable in handling the most routine dental implant procedures, as well as the most complex dental implant procedures. There is a difference between someone that places 15 implants a year and someone that places hundreds every year.
As frightening as it may seem, many dentists today take one or two-day courses on dental implant placement, work on plastic model jaws and/or buy surgical implant kits to get started in dental implant placement. You should ALWAYS check to make sure your dentist has the proper training, experience and credentials. Does your implant dentist’s training consist of a series of week-end courses or four years of a hospital-based Residency Program? Can your implant dentist offer a full array of anesthesia choices? What is the extent of training in this area? Experience matters. Please see Meet the Doctor section.
All state licensing boards attempt to establish minimum standards of practice in the dental community for specialty practices and procedures. Despite the efforts of the state licensing boards, these efforts do not guarantee that your dentist is qualified to perform specialty procedures, especially when it comes to placement of dental implants. A dentist that actively pursues excellence in implant care will spend 50 to 100 hours or more a year in continuing education and study, to hone, refine and update their treatment skills. Make sure that your dental implant placement specialist measures up. Ask to see the list of courses.
Dr. Overbeck routinely spends over four times the required number of hours per year in continuing education.
There are many situations that call for different implant sizes than were originally planned. A dentist that places hundreds of dental implants a year will always have 30 to 40 additional implants on hand to address unforeseen changes in your treatment situation. A dentist that only orders implants for individual cases may not be able to handle every situation that arises.
Advanced technologies and the latest science not only offer faster diagnosis and treatment, but ensure a more effective course of treatment. It is very important before proceeding with dental implants, to make sure your implant surgeon has invested in the most advanced technologies available to help ensure a positive experience. Some of the latest technologies and treatments available that we use to maximize the effectiveness of your treatment include:
The fact is that some dental implant companies have been researching the science of dental implants for over 20 years, and some are copycat companies that are manufacturing cheap, low-quality knock-off implants, that are marketed to dentists as “low-cost” dental implants. Ask yourself: Do you want an implant from a company that promotes being the low cost leader in dental implants or one that is from a worldwide leading company with 20 years of research and science? Better yet, ask your dentist!
Implant placement is a high tech, constantly evolving area of dentistry. Dr. Overbeck continuously studies the latest research for implant systems that can improve on and best meet the patient’s needs.