When I started out in implant dentistry 20 years ago there was almost nobody around me that was doing it. In the whole area of Nottingham, Leicester and Derby there was possibly three or four people placing implants towards the late 1990’s; now there are hundreds.

This has led to a change in expectations from patients about what they want from their regular dental practitioner, what they think is appropriate and what they will accept.

Many patients are happy to be referred on for procedures that are more complex but many also expect that straightforward dentistry can be carried out by their own dentist; this is because that’s what happened to their friends elsewhere.

In the modern independent dental practices the provision of some aspects of implant dentistry will be almost essential for survival. To grow the practice, retain patients but also encourage the team and enthuse clinicians.

Patients have a right to expect that their dental professional will invest in themselves and their team to provide treatment within their own capabilities to benefit their patients.

This is the basis of professional dentistry.

To be able to offer a wide range of treatments within a practice with multiple clinicians is, I believe, the only way forwards for independent dental practices. This involves investment in time, emotion and money in many areas not least dental technology and dental education. For the ambitious and the enthusiastic young practice owners, to master skills in surgical dentistry and to be able to provide straightforward implant dentistry while understanding your limitations and capabilities is essential for growth of a practice in my opinion.

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