Dental implant training has become a more significant need in dentistry in recent years, as we have seen the rehabilitative and aesthetic benefits of this area of practice. Untrained dentists may offer dental implant treatment, but perform only the final aspect of care, seating the dental crown, bridge, or denture. We hear from an increasing number of dental professionals that they are ready to realize their dental implant potential and bring the totality of their implant services in-house. Proper training is critical to this end. SMTS – Surgical & Medical Training Services has been proud to host live, hands-on cadaver training for dentists who aspire to expand not only their knowledge base but also their clinical capabilities. Now that our social-distancing issues have been addressed, we are seeing a return to in-person clinical trainings, and are excited to continue preparing and hosting live events in the area of dental implantology.
Dental implant courses equip dentists with experience via modalities such as lectures, live surgeries, and patient demonstrations. While technologies have expanded the capacity of dental professionals to virtually design smiles and create more predictable outcomes, there remains a vital role for real-life hands-on experiences that do not carry a high degree of patient risk in clinical training settings. To manage these risks, standard one-day training sessions tend to involve hands-on exercises utilizing detailed resin or gum models that allow doctors to perform exercises in drilling, bone grafting, sinus lifts, suturing, and more. It is clear that hands-on practice builds confidence and provides professionals with the opportunity to develop and fine-tune their surgical techniques. Hands-on exercises can help to cement the knowledge gained from the lecture material but, relying only on resin models, they may fall short.
Dental implant courses can involve the planning and performance of various cases under the direct mentorship of experienced educators. However, the modalities in which training occurs are also integral to competence and confidence. In the field of general surgery and specialty surgeries such as orthopedics, multiple studies have proven the immense value of cadaver training. It can only be assumed that this value extends to dentists who want to make dental implant treatment a fulfilling part of their practice. To succeed in this goal, dentists must also ensure that the treatment process is advantageous to the patient, as well. The best way to do that is to gain real-life experience on human tissue, which we can facilitate via live trainings and mobile cadaver labs.
There is value in the repetitive tell, show, and do method of teaching that is possible in the cadaver lab. To learn more, contact SMTS – Surgical & Medical Training Services at (888) 801-9444.
