Top 5 Questions To Ask Your Implant Provider Before Committing To Surgery
A few follow up questions might be, who were they trained by? What form of training did they receive? Or, how long did it take for them to go through the training? These questions all pertain to a dentist’s professional schooling on implants, and these credentials are important. At NELA Dental, we provide our patients with expert-level care for dental implant procedures. If your dentist does not have an extensive amount of formal training, we recommend going as far as to ask for a guarantee on the implants.
Dr. Vance Costello is the only practicing dentist in North Louisiana with the ABOI/ID board certification, and one of only four ABOI/ID Diplomates in all of Louisiana. Certification by the ABOI/ID attests to the fact that a dentist has demonstrated knowledge, ability, and proficiency in implant dentistry through a rigorous examination process. The American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry Diplomate (ABOI/ID) designation symbolizes the highest level of competence in implant dentistry. Costello worked tremendously hard for nearly a decade to achieve this prestigious designation.
In addition to this accreditation, Dr. Costello has completed the American Academy of Implant Dentistry's Comprehensive MaxiCourse and is a Fellow of the AAID. Also, he’s an instructor with Advanced Implant Educators (AIE) and Implant Know-How.
Dr. Daniel Raymond is also highly-certified for dental implant procedures. Raymond has completed an implant fellowship with the International Dental Implant Association (IDIA). As a member of the IDIA, he continues to build his continuing education portfolio as he works alongside industry experts to learn about the latest practices and techniques to provide his patients top-level results.
At NELA Dental, we provide our implant patients with in-office, 3D CT scans. There is a significant difference between traditional x-rays and 3D CT scans. An x-ray is only a two-dimensional image showing the layout of your bone structure. In the case of placing implants, x-rays would give us an idea of how close your tooth roots are, how thick your jawbone is, and other important territorial details that would allow us to place the implant safely. However, x-rays still leave marginal room for error. It is up to the dentist’s interpretation and usage of the x-ray images to place your implant safely. A 3D CT scan dramatically limits this risk. A 3D CT scan allows us to get a complete 3D map of your bone structure, so that we can plan every step of the surgery beforehand. It also allows us to create 3D printed surgical guides, so that the implant is placed into the jawbone at the most precise angle and depth possible.
In many general dental offices, they will separate the dental implant process among two dentists. One dentist will be the surgeon who places the implant into a patient's bone. The other dentist will be responsible for placing the crown on the implant. There’s nothing wrong with this approach as long as the doctors work closely together. We recommend working with an implant provider who will work closely with the dentist who places the crown. At NELA Dental, we perform these two tasks all under one roof. This will decrease the margin for error and increase the likelihood of your final crown looking perfect.
The success of your implant surgery will largely depend on how your surgeon considers your medical conditions. For example, people who have diabetes will have a much harder time healing from the implant process, so they will require extra steps to ensure a successful result.
At NELA Dental, we take a through medical history of all dental implant patients during their initial consultation. This allows us the opportunity to go over all risks involved.
This is an absolute must. The implant provider may have done everything perfectly, but there is always a small chance that something unexpected may happen after your surgery. You should have your surgeon’s word that they will prioritize you if something wrong occurs.
Also, keep this in mind if you’re ever considering going out of the country to have dental implant surgery. If something happens after you get back in the United States, you’ll likely have to fly all the way back to get the issue fixed.
Whether it’s for dental implants or a checkup, contact NELA Dental and Start Smiling Today!
(318) 387-5732
2016 Tower Drive, Monroe, LA
(318) 368-9518
7699 Highway 2, Farmerville, LA
Vance Costello, D.D.S.
Daniel Raymond, D.D.S.
Ryan Rachal, D.D.S.
Mary Rachal, D.D.S.
Mallory Pruden, D.D.S.
