Can My Endodontist Place My Implant?

Phil asks:
My endodontist extracted my tooth and wanted to do the implant. My dentist said that was not customary and referred me to a periodontist. The extraction was quite painful. Can you tell me if an endodontist can place the implant?

Answered by: Dr. Carlos Boudet

West Palm Beach, FL

Hi Phil:

The science of dental implantology is not a recognized specialty by the American Dental Association, and is not limited to any one specialty. The most important aspect of implant placement is that the surgery needs to be properly planned for the implant supported crown to be successful.

With the proper training, any dentist, whether general dentist or specialist can do the surgical placement of the implant. The abutment (post) and the crown are usually done by the general dentist or prosthodontist.

Your general dentist will be responsible for making your crown, so you need to talk to him or her and make a decision about whose recommendation you will follow.
Don't be afraid to ask questions such as what training have they had, and how much experience or how long they have been doing this.

Good luck, and I hope this helped you.

Carlos Boudet, DDS, DICOI
http://www.boudetdds.com