Implant Dentistry in the Undergraduate Dental Education Program at Dalhousie University. Part 1: Clinical Outcomes

Purpose: This study evaluated the outcome of treatments performed by students in the undergraduate implant elective program at Dalhousie University. Materials and Methods: All patients treated with dental implants in the undergraduate elective program at the Faculty of Dentistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, between 1994 and 2004 were identified from patient records. Brånemark implants (Nobel Biocare) were placed by experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeons or periodontists using the traditional 2-stage protocol and an intermediate healing period of 3 to 6 months. Undergraduate students in the elective implant program were responsible for the restorative part of the treatment. Results: A total of 166 implants were placed in 95 patients (38 men, 57 women; mean age: 52 years, range: 18 to 84 years). Of the 166 implants, 142 had been restored at the time of the study. Ten of the implants failed: 4 were lost during healing and the remaining 6 were lost after loading, leading to an implant survival rate of 93%. A total of 64 single-implant restorations, 7 multiple-unit fixed restorations, and 33 implant overdentures were fabricated. Conclusion: The results indicate that the clinical outcome of implant treatments performed by undergraduate students in the implant elective program at Dalhousie University is similar to that reported by experienced clinicians/research teams. Although the implant surgery was performed by an experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeon or periodontist, the student had the main responsibility for treatment planning and performing the prosthodontic procedures. The results also suggest that implant dentistry could be implemented as part of the curriculum in the undergraduate programs of dental schools.