Implants are used not only in oral surgery, maxillofacial surgery, prosthodontics and restorative dentistry but also in orthodontics, where mini-implants are sometimes used to provide anchorage. This position statement covers all forms.
For subscription purposes, Dental Protection defines implant dentistry as the placement and/or restoration of a missing tooth with an osseointegrated dental implant where the implant is placed within the tooth-bearing bone, ie, in the mandible and maxilla only.
There are two main exceptions to this, where additional subscriptions might apply:
- Where any part of the procedure or associated procedures (such as bone grafting) includes or extends to tissues other than those defined above, Dental Protection defines such procedures as ‘Group 1 Maxillofacial Procedures’. This includes any kind of sinus lift and/or bone harvesting from outside the dento-alveolar tissues.
- Zygomatic implants are considered a maxillofacial procedure and require membership within the 'Group 1 Maxillofacial Procedures' category.
The correct membership grade (and hence, subscription level) is then determined by two factors:
- The number of hours per year that the member is undertaking procedures of this nature.
- The total number of hours per year that the member is working in private (ie, non-employer indemnified) practice.
A choice of several categories is available to cater for members who do (or do not) spend any part of their clinical time working in an employer-indemnified position.
Contact Membership Services for the rates which currently apply.
Training
As with all procedures, members should ensure they are suitably trained and experienced before undertaking these procedures without supervision. Dental Protection strongly advocates the use of mentoring as a key part of a structured implant training programme, and members are referred to our separate position statement on mentoring
Placing implants outside the UK
Subscription rates in each country are set on expert actuarial advice and they aim to be fair and equitable across the whole membership. This position statement applies to the UK only.
In some international jurisdictions where Dental Protection membership is available, a disproportionate share of the total case-related expenditure is incurred in connection with dental implants. In these countries (for example Hong Kong, Israel and some countries within the Caribbean region) additional subscription rates are payable by any clinicians who have any level of involvement in implant dentistry.