#Education 29. Jan 2019

Straumann® Smart: Take the plunge

Building confidence is key to getting started in dental implantology.

Did you know that market research shows that most trained General Dental Practitioners who have not yet started to place dental implants do not feel confident to do so? It is clear that the quality of implant training courses for GPs has to be significantly improved by putting more emphasis on key aspects that GPs see as crucial. Aspects like: risk assessment, complication management and pre-operative treatment planning.

To address these issues and to help dentists cross the threshold to get established in implant dentistry, we believe that providing enabling and intuitive training and support to dentists at an early stage is fundamental. That’s why we developed Straumann Smart in close collaboration with the University of Zurich.

To enable dentists to gain the confidence to successfully start and continue to place or restore dental implants, Straumann has developed Smart, a unique and holistic solution that combines clinical education, hands-on product training, e-learning and the opportunity to benefit from one-to-one supervision by an experienced mentor. Smart helps dentists gain hands-on experience and improve their skills.  

What makes Straumann Smart so unique is the synergy that the six key elements deliver:

1. Classroom training
2. Online training
3. Mentoring
4. A simple product portfolio
5. Dental lab communication
6. Patient and practice marketing

Market research among dental GPS who haven’t yet started to place implants identified three key training needs:

  • Practical hands-on exercise
  • Experienced speakers
  • Live surgery

To address these needs, in this article we’ll focus on Smart elements 1, 2 and 3. Elements which are designed to work together to help dentists gain confidence quickly:

1. Classroom training

Clinical skills are the foundation of long-term success in implant dentistry. Smart provides an onsite curriculum combining modular clinical education, hands-on experience and practical product training tailored to the needs of starters. The training content was developed in collaboration with renowned clinicians from the University of Zürich, tailored to the treatment of straightforward indications. Benefit from experienced speakers and the opportunity to network with peers.

The Smart curriculum is structured in four stages:
Stage 1: Assessment and treatment planning
Stage 2: Surgical procedures
Stage 3: Prosthetic procedures
Stage 4: Aftercare and maintenance  

2. Online Training

It is not uncommon that several months pass by between the completion of an implant training program and the treatment of their first real implant patient. Smart Online Education provides dentists with the opportunity to refresh or deepen their knowledge, available on demand 24/7.

Smart Online Education follows the structure of the dental implant treatment workflow for three indications: SmartOne (single tooth), SmartMulti (multiple teeth) and SmartArch (edentulous treatment)

Smart Online Education gives access to:

  • Interactive PDFs comprising implant-related clinical theory and information on the step-by-step use of Straumann key products

  • Clinical videos

  • Checklists and editable forms

  • Technical product information

  • Self-assessment tests

  • Access to selected ITI* Online Academy learning modules 

3. Mentoring

One-on-one supervision by an experienced implantologist to build confidence and provide dentists peace of mind and support when treating their first patient cases live during surgery. Like a diver’s buddy who is with you every step of the way when you take the plunge. Support from a personal mentor is critical to ensure that dental professionals feel enabled and confident to begin and continue to place implants successfully.

The Smart mentoring program successfully facilitates the transfer of knowledge with:

  • One-on-one supervision by an experienced implantologist

  • Practice-based mentoring for the treatment of the first implant patient cases

  • Support with patient selection, treatment planning, implant surgery, and the related restorative work in the clinical environment

  • Expert assessments and feedback

In conclusion, Straumann Smart is designed to help dentists gain confidence to acquire suitable implant patients, increase treatment acceptance and grow their implant business quickly with confidence. It helps den­tal professionals grow their implant business quickly and with confidence. Take the plunge and discover the world of implant dentistry together with Straumann. 

4. A simple product portfolio

Straumann Smart helps reduce complexity by initially introducing the two most commonly used implant systems to help dentists get off to a quick start.

5. Dental lab communication

Close interaction and effective communication between the dentist and dental lab is crucial for a successful treatment outcome. Straumann Smart helps dentists understand which information they should share with the lab, to optimize communication to achieve the best possible results with more efficiency.    

6. Patient and practice marketing

To be successful, dentists need to actively market the implant services they provide. Straumann Smart gives dentists access to training and demo materials to structure a successful patient consultation, including tools for successful practice marketing.

In conclusion, Straumann Smart is a unique combination of different training formats together with support tools, marketing services and mentoring that are critical for dentists to succeed in implantology. Dive in and learn how to Smart can take you to the next level.

About Straumann® Smart