Four-Year Experience With the Placement, Restoration, and Maintenance of Dental Implants by Dental Students

In 1989 the Dental School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio originated a study to determine the feasibility of teaching clinical implant therapy to predoctoral students. Students in this selective program performed all of the implant surgery, prosthodontics, and maintenance therapy on assigned edentulous and partially edentulous patients. In 1992 another implant selective was added that enabled other students to become involved in the prosthodontic and maintenance phases of implant therapy. During the first 4 years of this program, dental students placed 120 implants in 74 patients with no failures. This program will continue and expand. Parole chiave: dental implants, dental students, education, implantology, problem-based learning