Implant Dentistry, a Solo Practice or Teamwork?

Traditionally, the implant dentistry has been acknowledged as a teamwork practice. However, this approach does not appear to offer the future of popularity that it once did. The evident truth is that the world is changing, and changing fast. The number of general practitioners who are involved in implant dentistry is increasing rapidly. More than 60% of general dentists are involved in implant treatments in their routine cares, many of whom do not seek nor want to share their patients with specialists. On the other hand, the vast majority of dental patients seeking treatment are reducing their plans to the lowest costs and time. At the same time, dental practice overhead continues to upsurge intensely associated with the higher costs of rapidly advancing technologies. All of this is occurring in a depressive economic condition.So, what are dentists in specialty practice doing about it? Most of them are rejecting the notion that things are changing at all and holding on forcefully to preserve the past. They feel in the near future things will go back to the way they were and the general dentists refer their implant patients to their specialist colleagues. My assertion, supported by the evidence, is that teamwork implant dentistry (in its traditional situation) will never reappearance.I am actively working with general dentists who have a keen interest to include the implant-based dental treatments to their daily practice. My initial objective is educating, developing their skills, and training them to modify themselves and their practices through a comprehensive knowledge. At the same time, It’s my view that their understanding of the limitations and difficulties of the complex implant cases will be the best pathway for them to provide the best quality of care. The mindset necessary, the skill sets required, the ability to work in an effective teamwork, are now fundamental and critical to future success.As a closing Comment, general dentists have been trained and acculturated to consideran effective teamwork with specialists in many fields of their practice. However, nowadays their tendencies aremostly to self-solving approach. And sometimes, this kind of thinking works.Although this model is becoming more and more common in the context of dentistry, butregarding the inherent complexities in some implant cases, it seems that an integrated and consolidation approach to experienced dental practitioner would be a viable factor for succeeding dental practice. Given that consolidation and integration appear in implant dentistry, those dentists who master the mindset, skill set, and experience to succeed in consolidation and integration will be able to thrive well into the future.