In over 20 years of placing implants, I have found that the very best way to internalize and begin integrating implantology into a practical skill set, is to apply your training on models during hands-on implant training activities.  We have designed our courses specifically so that each day includes a hands-on implant training activity that will help enhance and test your implant training for that specific course.  This hands-on training is further complimented by our live implant surgeries during each course.  Our live implant surgeries are performed on a real patient that I have selected from my private practice, or a patient that has been referred by a previous WCI Resident.

By integrating hands-on implant training activities with live implant surgeries, the general dentist is able to view a more complete spectrum of implantology.  For this reason, our residents feel confident in returning to their practices and beginning to offer this exceptional skill to their patients.

Clearly the highlight of the Guided Implant Residency is the fact that we treat real patients who come with real medical history.  We are able to engage in interactive group discussions and case planning as this medical history needs deliberating and talking about. Also, with each course involving two live surgeries, anything can happen.  During the Guided Implant Residency, the surgeries can go very smoothly, or they can turn out to be extremely challenging.  Through all the good the bad and the ugly of these procedures the dental implant residents become more in tune with reality, and that is what we teach—real dentistry through real hands-on and real live surgeries.  We do not spend 8 hours a day presenting some multi-media program; from start to finish WhiteCap Institute teaches real and applicable dentistry.

The ultimate highlight of our Guided Implant Residency is that in the end of the day, is that dentists can focus 100% on one topic, that being dental implant surgery and implant placement. And at…

Absolutely not. With dental implants it is never too late.  What we have observed, is that some of the most excited and energized dentists that have come to the WhiteCap Institute courses are those who are looking to retire in the next five years.  You may think, “Well, why would they want to do that” or “Why should they do that?”  And the fact is that is regenerates them and revitalizes them.  They have unbelievable clinical experience and it’s a great time to apply that experience.  With patient-centered care in mind, it is never too late to learn a new skill that will greatly benefit your patients and increase your overall ability as a dental professional.

Now is a great time to become an implant dentist.  As the public is becoming more educated about dental implants, they are now expecting general dentists to do dental implants.  Not only have the public become more aware, but the implant manufacturers have aligned themselves with general dentists and have accepted the fact that they are going to do the bulk of implants here in the next decade.

Our patients are ready for this standard of care and the manufactures are ready to help us provide it.  It is our challenge and obligation as dentists to become proficient at providing dental implant care to our patients just like we do any other skill set in general dentistry.