Among the many rewarding aspects of a career in dentistry, the chance to significantly enhance a patient’s quality of life is paramount, and implant therapy offers a powerful way to make a lasting difference. Given that over 150 million Americans experience partial tooth loss, the demand for this treatment is clear.
This is one of the many reasons why The Aspen Group (TAG) places a strong focus on training and professional development. Today, over 1,400 Aspen Dental providers across the U.S. have received a combination of surgical and restorative implant training through its world-class dental implant training curriculum. Through a comprehensive learning journey, doctors are trained in every aspect of the implant process, from diagnosis to delivery of care.
Training at Every Turn
One of those doctors is Brian Ahn, DMD, who completed a 3-day implant continuum as part of his journey toward implant placement. The course curriculum was split between didactic training through TAG University (TAG U) and live, in-person surgical training at TAG Oral Care Center for Excellence—a 25,000-square-foot facility that provides free dental care to Illinois residents in need.
“I think having the curriculum split up this way set a good foundation,” said Dr. Ahn. “It allowed me to gain practical knowledge about implants before heading into the live, hands-on training. Faculty members were able to shadow us, give us feedback, and share their opinions on what they might have done differently during the process. That mentorship really helped me because I understood why we were doing things in certain ways.”
Building Confidence in Everyday Implant Treatment
The 31-CE implant continuum is led by Sundeep Rawal, DMD, who is SVP of Implant Support at Aspen Dental. Throughout the 6 sessions, which take place in either a classroom or an operatory, doctors leverage cutting-edge tools, technology, and implant systems.
Even after training is complete and providers return home to their practices, they receive ongoing support during their day-to-day implant cases, including access to doctors and world-leading experts who provide mentorship and clinical guidance.
Patient-Centered Solutions
“I love being able to give my patients additional treatment options and provide them with a more permanent solution based on their needs,” added Dr. Ahn. “For example, patients who struggled with loose lower dentures tell me they’re able to chew much better and how happy they are after deciding to move forward with implants. I really think the procedure is life-changing for patients, and as a provider, being educated about what improves a patient’s quality of life is always valuable.”
