WHY SHOULD I SEE A BOARD CERTIFIED PROSTHODONTIST?
WHAT IS PROSTHODONTICS?
Prosthodontics was one of the original dental specialties first recognized by the American Dental Association in 1948, along with oral and maxillofacial surgery, pediatric dentistry, and periodontics. The ADA now recognizes nine dental specialties.
Prostho (derived from “prosthesis”) -dontics (derived from “odontia” or teeth) is the dental specialty that focuses on restoring missing or broken teeth through fillings, crowns, bridges, implants, and dentures.
HOW ARE PROSTHODONTISTS DIFFERENT?
After completing four years of undergraduate education and four years of dental school, prosthodontists undergo an additional three years of specialty training through a hospital or university-based program accredited by the ADA.
This rigorous advanced graduate training includes lectures, literature reviews, seminars, and laboratory and clinical training in all facets of dental health and restoration. These extra years are aimed at training prosthodontists to think comprehensively, which enables them to treat patients as a whole, not just as a set of individual teeth.
Prosthodontists most often serve as the directing coordinator of a patient’s overall dental treatment; in other words, they act as the “quarterback” on a team of other specialists that may include periodontists, orthodontists, oral surgeons, and endodontists.
WHY SHOULD I SEE A BOARD-CERTIFIED PROSTHODONTIST?
After having complete the three-year residency program, prosthodontists have the option of applying for board certification. The process of becoming board certified is rigorous and can take years.
LESS THAN ½ OF ONE PERCENT OF DENTISTS
ARE BOARD-CERTIFIED PROSTHODONTISTS
The candidate is required to demonstrate the highest integration of clinical and didactic knowledge through four separate written and oral exams administered by the American Board of Prosthodontics.
After becoming certified, Diplomates are required to renew their certification every eight years to ensure they remain current on the newest updates to the specialty and the field of dentistry.
Call or text our office at (404) 948-1324 to schedule an appointment or consultation. As a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics, Dr. Hal N. Arnold has proven the depth of his knowledge and skill in the field of prosthodontics. He is regarded as one of the most highly trained restorative dentists and is dedicated to the highest standard of care.
WHY I CHOSE TO BECOME BOARD CERTIFIED...
"During my residency program at the University of Iowa, Board Certification was heavily emphasized. Our esteemed program director, Dr. Kenneth Turner had just come off of his stent as president of the American Board of Prosthodontics. My personal goal to become board certified became solidified. It was another way I could distinguish myself from other peers in my profession. As one of my mentors, Dr. Richard Jordan, would always say, ' If you are not Board Certified, you are always on the outside looking in'. In addition, I was encouraged to do research in the field to attain a Masters of Science degree in Prosthodontics- a degree my mentors at Iowa would always say, ' They can never take that away from you'. "