Things To Look For In An Implant Dentist

What to Look for in an Implant Dentist

So how do you know you’ve found the right Irvine dentist for your dental implants? Here are some things to look for when deciding whether your dentist is a good choice.

Great Results

Of course, implant dentists’ results speak for themselves. You want to make sure that the dentist you choose has a proven track record of success. This means attractive, functional, comfortable, and long-lasting results. 

Consider Working with a Specialist

Any dentist is considered qualified to place dental implants. If they are a dentist, they’re allowed to practice dentistry, including placing dental implants. However, when it comes to dental implants, a specialist can make a big difference in terms of your experience and your results, with a lower risk of complications and better long-term results.

There is no specialty focused just on dental implants, but periodontists and oral surgeons can both be considered dental implant specialists. Some other dentists might claim to be dental implant specialists. Don’t simply accept these claims–check out their training and experience.

Look for Training and Experience

When you’re selecting an implant dentist, both training and experience matter. If a dentist claims to be a dental implant specialist, see what training supports that claim. If, for example, a dentist is a board-certified periodontist or oral surgeon, the claim of implant specialist carries more weight than a “dental implant specialist” title that isn’t necessarily governed by rigorous standards. 

Both training and experience give dentists knowledge they can’t obtain with the other. Only training exposes dentists to new ideas and techniques that can improve the procedure. However, only experience exposes dentists to the variety and unpredictability of real-world situations and shows them how theory translates into results. The combination of both prepares a dentist to offer the best treatments.

Established in the Community

Another important factor to consider is whether a dentist is established and well-known in the community. Dentists don’t get a great reputation for performing poor dental work. Instead, a great reputation takes years of providing great care to many patients to build. Irvine is a highly competitive environment and a particularly difficult place to build a reputation. 

And once dentists have a good reputation, they want to maintain it. That gives them more incentive to only provide new patients with the best possible care. And that gives you extra confidence that they will treat you well.

What Matters Less When Choosing an Implant Dentist

However, there are some other aspects of a dentist that you shouldn’t worry too much about. These only matter when trying to choose between otherwise very similar dentists or in special circumstances. 

Type of Implant

Although dental implants come in many varieties, you shouldn’t worry too much about what implants your dentist selects. Find an implant dentist you can trust, then trust their choice of implant. 

The only time this might matter is if you have a metal allergy and need a non-metal implant. Then it’s important that your dentist of choice offers one. 

Location

We understand. If you live in Irvine, you want an implant dentist in Irvine. However, having a dental implant dentist close to home is not as important as having a general or family dentist who’s local. 

Ideally, your implant dentist should at least be regional, where it won’t be prohibitive to make a few follow-up visits. However, these get longer and longer apart, and eventually, dental implant care gets turned over to your local dentist. 

Cost of Dental Implants

Another less important issue is the cost of dental implants. Don’t choose an Irvine implant dentist primarily because they’re cheaper. Instead, you can make it a deciding factor between dentists. Even in this case, make sure you’re comparing like quotes. If you have two very different quotes for the same procedure, ask for a cost breakdown so you can see where the difference comes from. 

How to Evaluate an Implant Dentist

When considering your implant dentist options, use these five techniques to find the best implant dentist for you.

Online Reviews

Online reviews are a great place to start. Reviews written by people who have worked with the dentist will give you the best idea about how the dentist works. It will let you know how much time the dentist dedicates to patients, whether the staff is helpful, and how the dentist responds to complaints.

Don’t be swayed by just one terribly negative or positive review. First, you don’t know if any one review is legitimate. Even if a person did have a bad experience, you’re not sure whether it’s the dentist’s fault or if the person didn’t comply with the dentist’s instructions. The same goes for a single positive review–that could be the dentist’s mom, for all you know.

Instead, focus on the overall flavor of online reviews, and if there are any bad reviews, evaluate how the dentist responded to them if allowed.

Before and After Pictures

Next, go to a dentist’s smile gallery to see what kind of results a dentist can achieve. Start out by looking at dental implants, of course, but look at other procedures, too. A bad-looking porcelain veneer case, for example, might show that the dentist has no sense of what makes a good-looking smile.

Dentist’s Bio

Next, you’ll want to look at the dentist’s biography on the site. Hopefully, it includes a lot of information about their original training and any continuing education they’ve been pursuing since they got their dental degree. The bio should also tell you how long a dentist has been practicing in the Irvine area.

Dentists should belong to a number of professional organizations. These organizations hold their members to high standards of excellence and morality, so you know that someone is looking over the dentist’s shoulders to make sure they’re being professional.

There should also be information about any outside interests the dentist has so you can begin to get a sense of the dentist’s personality and you can start to decide whether this is a dentist you’d like to work with.

The Company They Keep

A dental implant procedure is very complicated, and for the best results, it’s usually best to work with more than one implant dentist, so that each dentist can focus on doing what they’re best at.

If you can’t tell who an implant dentist works with by looking on their website, the dentist either does it all himself or isn’t proud of their partner, neither of which is a good situation.

Once you do find out who a dentist works with, you can evaluate their technical and aesthetic training and talent.

A Personal Interview

Finally, meet with a dentist in person at their office in Irvine before you start your procedure. A long, detailed conversation can help you truly understand who a dentist is and what it would be like working with them. Ask them about all the things you’ve already evaluated, from their training to their implant dentist partner.

And make sure you meet with more than one dentist so that you can compare them in person and figure out which you would most like to work with.

Find the Best Dentist for Implants in Irvine

If you are looking for an Orange County implant dentist, please call (949) 551-5902 for an appointment at Rice Dentistry in Irvine, located near Discovery Park.