Questions to Ask Your Implant Dentist

Your implant dentist can educate you on dental implantsWhen you are considering dental implants, you need to use care in selecting your implant dentist. Your choice of dentist will make a big difference in the success of your procedure and your experience during the process. Here are some questions to ask to make sure you have chosen the right implant dentist for you.

Will you be placing the dental implant and placing the restoration on top?

Sometimes an implant dentist will perform the entire process. Other times, your implant dentist will work with a specialist, such as a periodontist, to perform the actual placement of the implant. Both approaches have their advantages. The most important reason to bring it up is to understand how your procedure will be handled and know which dentist’s credentials to consider.

What training do you have in placing dental implants? How long have you been placing dental implants? How many dental implants have you placed?

These three questions basically focus on the same things: education and experience. You want an implant dentist who has received adequate formal training, but you also want one who has had a lot of practice placing dental implants.

What is your 5- and 10-year success rate?

Some implant dentists have a much higher success rate than others. Typically, more experienced and better-trained dentists have a higher success rate, but not always. A dentist should know these statistics and should be ready to talk about them.

Can I talk to some of your dental implant patients?

Of course you will see before-and-after pictures. Of course you will read testimonials. Of course you will look up reviews. But nothing is a substitute for actually talking to a patient. You will learn many details you couldn’t possibly get any other way. A quality dentist should have at least one and hopefully several patients who are prepared to speak on their behalf.

What imaging will be used to plan my case?

Imaging technology can be used instead of exploratory surgery to help verify the exact amount of bone present and determine its shape. This will allow for precise planning of your dental implants to help improve the odds of success.

Will surgical guides be used to help place the implants?

Precise planning of a case is useless if it isn’t properly followed during the surgical step. Surgical guides are used to direct the implant so that it ends up exactly where it is supposed to be.

Can I get a crown placed the same day as my implant?

Sometimes, you may be able to get a dental crown placed the same time the implant is placed. Other times, you may have to wait. Talk to your implant dentist about this decision and which might be appropriate in your case.

Asking these questions will help you determine whether this is the right implant dentist for you. Consider not just what they’re saying, but how they say it, too. You want to find a dentist who gives you complete confidence that your dental implant procedure will give you the results you want, safely.

To learn whether Dr. Mark Dunayer is the right implant dentist for you, please contact B & D Dental Excellence in Rockland Country today.