An Aspen Dental provider shares highlights from his hands-on implant training and how the experience boosted his confidence during implant placement
Like many of his peers, Dr. Brian Ahn graduated from dental school eager to start his career in dentistry. He began working at a practice in Warwick, RI, where he learned a great deal from his practice owner and took time to develop his clinical skills. But unlike many of his peers, he is an Aspen Dental provider, which means he has access to a robust virtual and in-person university, as well as a cutting-edge surgical training center that will help him expand his skill set even further.
Dentistry Expanded
The Aspen Group (TAG) Oral Care Center for Excellence (OCC) is a 25,000-square-foot facility in Chicago's West Loop that provides free dental care to Illinois residents in need. It's also a live-patient training center for its growing network of Aspen providers, including Dr. Ahn, who recently 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 the OCC.
“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.” He added that each attendee was paired with a faculty member, and that having an implant expert present throughout the case was extremely helpful.
“They were able to shadow us, give us feedback, and share their opinions on what they might have done differently during the process," he said. "That mentorship really helped me because I understood why we were doing things in certain ways.”
Led by Sundeep Rawal, DMD, who is SVP of Implant Support at Aspen Dental, the implant continuum provides attendees with 31 credit hours. Throughout the weekend, doctors engage in 6 sessions that take place in either a classroom or an operatory, leveraging cutting-edge tools, technology, and implant systems.
“I love being able to give my patients additional treatment options and provide them with a more permanent solution based on their needs,” said 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.”
He added, "The implant training was a great experience that I don’t think I would have gotten anywhere else. Having a good community, a supportive team, and access to help are really important to me.”
