Dental implants can be a life-changing solution for those who have permanently lost their teeth. A successful implant procedure makes it easier for patients to eat, speak, and smile confidently. They are an excellent option for replacing missing teeth when planning, surgery, and final restoration are handled properly. The dental implant market in Arizona is large, offering patients many options for where to get their procedure. However, with so many choices comes a wide range of quality, leading to the question, “where should I get my implants?” Unfortunately, aggressive marketing often promises low prices and quick results. Many of these offers seem too good to be true, and often, they are. It is also difficult to assess the quality of an implant practice, but quality can be the difference between an implant lasting a lifetime and one that doesn’t even last a year. As a Board Certified Prosthodontist at Revive Dental Implant Center, I have worked with many patients who have needed their treatment redone. Sadly, these initial failures were almost always preventable. Here are some tips for patients to evaluate their dental implant clinic.
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Seek out a specialist
There isn’t a single method to guarantee that the implant center you choose will deliver excellent results, but you can narrow down your options by working with a specialist. Specialists undergo years of additional training in implants, not just a few weekend courses. Success usually comes from following a long list of basic rules, and specialists consistently meet a high percentage of these fundamentals.
It can be hard to tell if your doctor is a specialist because patients often struggle to understand the extensive claims on a doctor’s website. The most reliable way to find out if your doctor is a specialist is to search with the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners. They maintain a database of all dental licenses in the state. Not only can you confirm you’re working with a specialist, but you can also check if they are in good standing with the board, see if other patients have filed complaints, or find out if there are any board actions against them. They even have a list of impostors.
The need for a specialist increases with the complexity of the procedure. If a patient needs an implant to replace a back tooth, working with your general dentist is usually more cost-effective and has a lower risk of complications. Replacing a front tooth with an implant introduces more challenges and may require a specialist for the best results. When it comes to full mouth replacement options, the cost rises significantly, and so do the chances of things going wrong.
If your dentist discusses this with you but brings in a lab to do their part of the work, that is a red flag. It usually means the dentist isn’t familiar with the procedure and is relying on the lab, which knows a lot about the lab side but not the clinical side, to handle the heavy lifting. This procedure used to be performed only by surgical specialists such as periodontists and oral surgeons. Nowadays, while the surgical specialist is still involved, instead of dentists stepping in for the prosthodontist, the lab often takes on that role. Not because they should, but because they are willing.
Full mouth reconstructions are challenging on their own before adding the implant component. Among all the treatments we redo at our Implant Center, these full mouth (All-On-4, Hybrid, etc.) cases are the most tragic, and the fixes are the most difficult. While a patient might save money on treatment with the initial procedure, they often end up paying more in the long run after needing some or all of it redone. Patients seeking full mouth implant options should be very cautious about whom they choose to trust and invest in.
Cautiously check online reviews
In today’s world, people often Google to research everything, including dental implant centers for their procedures. Since we search for implant centers online, checking reviews can be helpful. However, reviews can be fake, so exercise caution. Reviews should have a variety of ratings and include specific details. An implant center with only five-star reviews and identical summaries is a red flag. A legitimate business will have reviews sharing unique experiences, which sometimes might be negative. No implant center or dental clinic is entirely free of negative reviews. If an implant center you’re considering has many mostly positive reviews with unique details, it indicates that the high ratings are likely genuine.
Online reviews shouldn’t be the sole factor in your decision, but they can help guide your choice of an implant center. When reading any comments with a poor review, consider the reason. A bad review due to the patient experiencing pain, poorly done work, poor outcomes, etc., are warning signs. However, a bad review because they had to wait too long for their appointment or disliked that a treatment option was too expensive doesn’t reflect on the quality of the treatment.
Put emphasis on experience
People who lack experience with implants often hesitate to admit it, but experience is crucial for success, so you should prioritize evaluating this aspect above all else. Seriously inquire about your dentist’s background. Ask how long they have been placing and restoring implants. What has their failure rate been? Are they a recognized specialist? How many times have they performed this procedure? What are their common complications, and how do they handle them? Where did they receive their training? How many hours of training did they dedicate to this procedure? How involved are they in the planning process? What differentiates their practice from others offering this service?
When you ask, don’t settle for vague answers like “a lot.” Your dentist should be able to provide a clear estimate of their total cases and how consistent their success rates are. Also, ask what their specialty really means. Are they a board-certified specialist, or did they just attend a weekend course or seminar? When inquiring about their experience with a specific procedure, expand your questions to include how many similar cases they’ve handled. There’s a big difference between placing a single-tooth implant in ideal bone and performing a full-arch case with extractions, grafting, and bite reconstruction. Make sure your dentist has the experience necessary for the procedure you need.
Ask about warranties
Any dentist performing a procedure should be confident enough in their work to stand behind it. This means you should ask them about the warranty they offer. A dentist who does not provide a warranty may not be the best choice. However, it’s important to understand the details of any warranty so you know the specific terms. For example, if they offer a lifetime warranty, ask what could disqualify you from it. An implant center might void the warranty if you miss a single follow-up appointment. This is a sign of a poor warranty because they count on you missing it to void the coverage. A dental implant center’s commitment to you shouldn’t end when you leave the clinic. Make sure they stand by their work with a solid warranty.
Prices don’t vary that much
Many places promise high-quality work at a low price, but if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Dental implants are influenced by market forces just like any other product, so prices won’t vary much if the clinic follows recommended techniques rather than cutting corners or skipping procedures that would improve results. If one clinic offers implants at a significantly lower price than others, they are cutting costs in some way. They might save on labor by hiring less experienced staff or on materials by using cheaper supplies.
Lower-quality implants, lab work, grafts, etc., tend to be priced similarly across various implant centers. If one costs significantly less, it’s probably best to avoid it.
Dental implants can be a transformative procedure when done correctly. Before selecting a dental implant clinic, thoroughly research their reputation to ensure they are a reputable facility. Check the dentist’s license, ask about their experience, inquire about warranties, and don’t choose a center based only on its low cost. By following these steps, you’ll be better prepared to navigate a market full of options for dental implants.
Author: Dr. Nate Farley is a Board-Certified Prosthodontist at Revive Dental Implant Center in Mesa. Revive, and its expert team, specializes in the replacement and restoration of worn and missing teeth. Dr. Farley is an expert in dental implant rehabilitation, including the All-On-4® procedure.
