Research Reveals Training And Cost Are Holding Back Dentists From Offering Dental Implants

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 08 Oct 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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New research* from Implantium, a newly launched provider of dental implant solutions (implant supplier), reveals that a lack of skills is the main reason why so few dentists offer dental implants. Implantium's research shows that just over one in three UK dentists carry out implants, with 64.5% of dentists who don't offer this service claiming it's because they don't have the necessary skills or training. This is followed by 25.8% who said that the equipment and dental implants themselves are too expensive to make it a viable business proposition.

Reason for not offering customers dental implant services
Don't have the necessary skills/training - 64.5%
Equipment and procedure is too expensive - 25.8%
Practice is too small - 6.5%
Don't know - 9.7%
Dentists questioned could give more than one answer

Despite this, Implantium's research shows that the UK dental implant market is growing. Some 25% of dentists who aren't currently offering this service are planning to do so within the next 12 months. Furthermore, of those dentists offering implants, 22.7% have seen demand increase over the past 12 months, with only 4.55% seeing it fall.

Demand for dental implants over the past 12 months, percentage of dentists who offer implants
Have seen an increase - 22.7%
Have seen a decrease - 4.55%
Demand has stayed about the same - 63.64%
Don't know - 9.1%

Jason Buglass, Managing Director of Implantium and a qualified dentist who has over fifteen years experience of carrying out dental implant procedures said: "Our research shows that collectively there are 46.5 million adult teeth missing in Britain so there is certainly a huge potential market.

"We are trying to encourage more dentists to offer implant services by offering implants that are 81% lower in price than the market average as well as training courses for dentists."

Implantium implants are produced by Dentium of South Korea and are sold under licence in the UK. Dentium has a 25% market share in South Korea, selling 190,000 units which is approximately twice the total number of all implant types sold in the UK in 2007.

Implantium also offers a range of training courses including:

Online demonstration of how the system works

Implantium's website features an online service which provides videos demonstrating dental implant procedures. The videos demonstrate practical techniques featuring real patients; these case studies give dentists an insight into the dental implant procedure.

Conversion clinical support

A practice visit by a fully qualified nurse with over 10 years full time experience of dental implants who can show dentists who are experienced in implants how the implantium proposition works and is maintained.

One day course

An opportunity to place several implants in real patients at Implantium's training facility. Only available to those dentists already placing implants.

Introduction to Dental Implants

For those with no implant experience a week long course covering the theory of implant treatment, hands on experience using plastic models pigs' heads etc., as well as interactive treatment planning, culminating in the supervised placement of an implant in a patient provided for you.

Certificate in Clinical Implant Dentistry

Direct supervision by experienced clinicians learning their top tips. A ten day module treating at least six customers - from diagnosis to follow-up. This will involve some theory but is largely hands on experience of providing clinical treatment to patients provided by Implantium's' clinic.

http://www.implantium.co.uk