Implant survival rates in a condensed surgical and prosthetic training program for general practitioners in dental implants.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival rates for surgical placement of dental implants in the Implant Dentistry Study Consortium (IDSC), a training program for general dentists in the UAE. MATERIALS The records of the program were reviewed, and all implants placed were evaluated, and the survival and failures were identified. These records were compared with those from an experienced prosthodontist who has been trained in both the surgical and restorative phases of implant dentistry. Descriptive statistics and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were calculated. The Kaplan-Meier statistics were compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS The characteristics of the population of the IDSC and the prosthodontist were similar. During the study interval, the prosthodontist had 299 implants in 145 subjects and IDSC with 217 implants in 104 subjects placed. The survival rates were 96% for the experienced prosthodontist and 93.5% for IDSC dentists. The Kaplan-Meier curves were not statistically different from each other, P > 0.05. CONCLUSION A closely supervised training program in dental implantology of 4 sessions, 3 day each, can provide successful surgical experiences for the program participants.