EDI - European Association of Dental Implantologists

The Spanish Dental Implant Society (SEI) conducted prospective study
First White Paper
on Implantology
in Spain
Araceli Morales Sánchez, PhD, MD, DDS, President
of the Spanish Dental Implant Society (SEI)
The Spanish Dental Implant Society (Sociedad Española de
Implantes, SEI) has conducted a prospective study on dental
implantology in Spain. The interest in such a publication has
been considerable, given the enormous interest in dental
implants today – not only amongst dental practitioners, but
throughout the entire industry.
Spain appears to have the third highest number of dental
implants of any European country – although it is very difficult
to come up with precise figures. This White Paper, however, has
established some very interesting facts. Dental implantology
has significantly changed the way dental clinics work. Implant
treatment has become more widespread and is increasingly
considered the treatment of choice.
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Implant treatment is undoubtedly a highly satisfactory therapeutic
modality, offering great clinical benefits to patients and dentists
alike. However, concerns about risks and failures are statistically
greater amongst dental practitioners than normally admitted.
The success rates published in the scientific literature are at
odds with the perceptions generally held by dentists, who often
report that they are seriously worried. While they perceive
implantology as a safe and prestigious discipline offering great
convenience to patients, they acutely recognize the potential
complications at various stages of the treatment. These need to
be carefully assessed, for the sake of the patients as well as the
practitioners themselves. The realization that implants can fail
requires the profession to take a responsible stance in order to
find appropriate solutions.
While certain postgraduate implantological training courses
are considered excellent, university-level teaching of dental
implantology as a whole is generally perceived as inadequate.
Concerns have arisen over the excessive number of – not
always well-monitored – courses offered.
This first White Paper on implantology in Spain, to be published
and distributed on request by September, offers a
wealth of highly pertinent information, some predictable and
others surprising. The SEI will continue to follow up on the issues
raised in this White Paper in the future. In a highly volatile field,
data and observations can change rapidly, so this study will be a
blueprint for future publications.
We would like to take the opportunity to thank the dental
practitioners who participated in the investigation and the suppliers
who supported the project. Without their help, this project
would have been impossible to carry out.
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