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College of Dentistry

Office of Continuing Education

Comprehensive Implant Course & Externship

This interactive implant course is designed to provide general dentists and dental specialists an overview of implant treatment planning, surgical placement, and restoration of the dental implant.

The Comprehensive Implant Course manual is presented to attending dentists before their session. The manual contains diagnostic, treatment planning and step-by-step surgical procedures for placement of selected implant systems. Also contained in the manual are a series of articles concerning research, basic information, and surgical and restorative techniques of many implants systems. Other articles in the manual deal with aspects of implant dentistry that are important for a dentist implementing implant dentistry into his/her practice.

The implant externship contains four one-day sessions per calendar year plus individual surgery sessions of individual participants. The one-day sessions will consist of a morning didactic seminar and an afternoon surgery. In the afternoon surgery, dentists will observe the course director and/or a resident surgically place implants on a live patient. Dentists will also have hands-on experience in placing implants in artificial mandibles.

Course Dates & Fees

June 20, 2008 - Session I - Diagnosis, Treatment Planning

September 12, 2008 Session II - Surgical and Restorative Cases

December 12, 2008 - Session I - Diagnosis, Treatment Planning

Tuition is $499 per dentist per didactic session.

Externship Program

The externship is designed to prepare participating dentists the skills to diagnose, treatment plan, surgically place and restore implants in “mainstream” cases.   Mainstream cases include single tooth implants in non-esthetic areas and implants to retain a mandibular denture using Locator abutments.   The externship requires participating dentists to attend two didactic/surgery sessions in succession.   It is recommended that dentists begin the externship with Session I or III, however, dentists can also begin at Session II or IV.  At the end of two successive sessions, attending dentists are given a written examination covering didactic material.  Dentists who score an 85 or better on the examination begin hands-on surgical training with their own patients.  All didactic and surgical sessions will be done at the University Dental Practice (UDP), 910 Madison, Suite 608 .

The externship training allows dentists the opportunity to place implants on their patients under supervision at the UDP, a part of the College of Dentistry , University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Between their first and second sessions, attending dentists should identify potential implant patients from their practices.  These patients are treatment planned by the dentists with input from the course director.  Current models and peri-apical radiographs must be mailed or brought to the externship director for treatment planning.  Patients approved by the director are then brought to the UDP for the dentists to perform implant surgery under the director’s supervision of the course director.  Dentists who desire additional training before performing surgical implant procedures training are encouraged to bring patients to the UDP to assist the director in surgery until they are confident to place implants on their own. A total of four implants must be placed by each dentist to complete requirements, one of which must be placed in the maxillary arch.  Dentists are encouraged to place implants for a mandibular overdenture case as one of their required cases.  Digital pictures will be made of attending dentists’ surgery cases to be placed on a disc and sent to the dentist for reference and study.  Dentists who score 85 or better on the written examination and 85 or better for their surgical sessions receive a certificate of completion of the Externship in Comprehensive Implant Dentistry from the College of Dentistry , University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Session I: 

SESSION OBJECTIVE:      After completion of the first session, attending dentists will have a basic knowledge of the diagnosis, treatment planning, patient selection and pre-surgical planning of multiple implant systems.  Dentists are able to identify anatomical landmarks pertinent to implant surgery. The didactic part of the first session is a morning seminar.  Implant surgery and restorative cases will be presented in a Powerpoint presentation.   In the afternoon, attending dentists observe the director or resident perform a live surgery and may also observe the restoration of previously placed implants on live patients.  Dentists have the opportunity to place implants in artificial mandibles as a component of their training.  If time permits, there a question and answer period.  Attending dentists are encouraged to bring radiographs and study casts of cases of possible implant cases.

 

Session II: 

SESSION OBJECTIVE:      In the morning seminar, implant surgery and restorative implant cases will be presented in Powerpoint presentations.  The afternoon session includes a live surgery performed by the course director and/or residents.  Attending dentists who select to participate in the externship should be prepared to take the written examination at the end their second session.  Dentists must score 85 or better in order to begin their individual surgery sessions.  The surgery sessions are scheduled by the director and individual participating dentists.  Dentists are encouraged to choose Fridays for their surgical sessions.  Participating dentists will bring their own patients to the UDP to place implants.  Post-surgical treatment and restoration of these patients is performed by the participants.  The director is always available for input.  Participating dentists should have identified at least two cases [or more] of possible implant candidates before Session II.  “Mainstream” cases are encouraged for the first two cases.  However, cases are approved on a case-by-case basis.  The director will not approve cases that are too difficult for participants in the externship.  If time allows, potential implant candidates will be discussed.  

In treatment planning all cases, patient records must include a current medical and dental history.  Mandibular implant supported overdenture cases must include maxillary and mandibular casts and a recent panographic radiograph of good quality.  Implant cases requiring implant supported crowns or FPD’s must include maxillary and mandibular casts and recent individual peri-apical radiographs of edentulous areas for implant placement.  These radiographs must show adjacent teeth and vital structures of importance.  A recent panographic radiograph of good quality must also be included.  Surgical stents must be made and approved by the director for all cases.

 

Surgery Sessions

Session Objective:  The objective is to allow a participating dentist who has successfully passed the didactic part of the implant externship the opportunity to place implants in their patients.  Patients must be approved by the externship director.  Current models and appropriate radiographs must be brought or sent at least one month prior to the surgical procedure.  A copy of professional liability insurance and state licensure must be sent one month prior to the surgical procedure.  All fees must be paid by the participating dentist on the day of the surgical procedure.  Each participating dentist must provide his/hers own surgical assistant for each surgical procedure.  Surgery sessions are scheduled with the director for Fridays at the UDP.  Surgeries are to be performed by participating dentists with instruction from the director.  If the director is forced to intervene and perform a majority of the surgery in order to ensure success, the participating dentist will not get credit for the procedure.  Strict protocol is used for grading surgical procedures and each participant must attain a minimum of 85 for each implant placed to receive credit.

Course Director: Dr. Steven Cloyd, Professor, Department of Restorative Dentistry and Department of Dental Science, College of Graduate Health Sciences, College of Dentistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center; Assistant Director, Advanced Education General Dentistry Program, Lutheran Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York; Graduate, Midwest Implant Institute,   Honorary Fellow and Faculty Member

This course is made possible by a generous educational grant from Zimmer.

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Contact the Office of Continuing Education & Publications

875 Union Avenue
S-102 Dunn Bldg.
Memphis, Tennessee 38163

utcde@utmem.edu

Phone: 901-448-5386
Fax: 901-448-1514