BRISTOL, England: Although dental implantology has traditionally been regarded as a postgraduate subject, graduating dentists increasingly need to understand core aspects of implant therapy, including monitoring and maintenance of implants and peri-implant tissue. A new review by UK researchers has found that undergraduate dental implantology education in the UK and Ireland has improved markedly over the past 40 years but that wide variations remain. The authors argued that educators need clearer guidance on curricula content, teaching methods and student assessment.
Drawing on surveys and consensus documents from the past four decades, the authors reported that implant dentistry is now embedded in dental school curricula in the UK and Ireland. Earlier surveys found that implant teaching was often limited to lectures, whereas more recent data shows greater use of simulation and some clinical teaching.
Nevertheless, the review found continued inconsistency between dental schools. In the most recent UK-focused survey, published in 2022, all eight dental schools that responded addressed implant dentistry in lectures and six offered preclinical simulation training. However, only one reported providing observation of restorative implant procedures, one had students restore implants and two provided observation of implant surgery. The reported barriers to broader implementation included cost, lack of time within already crowded curricula, limited teaching staff expertise and the need for staff training.
The authors also argued that UK undergraduate implantology education appears to lag behind provision in some other countries in respect of teaching hours, variety of teaching methods and provision of clinical experience. They cited European survey data showing an average of 74 hours of undergraduate implant-related education, whereas UK schools were reported to provide between 10 and 20 hours.
Implications for general practice
The authors highlighted the growing number and complexity of implant cases presenting in general dental practice. In England, the 2021 Adult Oral Health Survey found that 5% of adults reported having a dental implant, which the review said equated to an estimated 2.8 million individuals. These developments make implant maintenance and early recognition of complications increasingly relevant to primary dental care. The authors also noted that undergraduate exposure to implantology may influence later clinical confidence and practice patterns, including whether dentists discuss implants as a treatment option, make appropriate referrals and provide maintenance.
The review also places these findings in the context of a wider change in UK dental education. Preparing for Practice was the General Dental Council’s previous statement of learning outcomes for registration, setting out the knowledge, skills and attributes expected of new dental professionals. It has now been superseded by the Safe Practitioner Framework, which states that graduating dentists should be able to explain the use of implants as a treatment option, including outcomes, limitations and risks. The General Dental Council says that all education providers are expected to align their programmes with the framework by the 2030–2031 academic year.
The authors called for continued curriculum guidance on content, teaching environments, learning styles and assessment to support the necessary progression of undergraduate implant education in UK dental schools. They concluded that the current period of transition presents “a timely opportunity to reflect on [undergraduate] implant education and establish how further improvements can be made”.
The review, titled “Undergraduate dental implantology education in the United Kingdom – looking to the past to plan for the future”, was published online on 8 May 2026 in the British Dental Journal.
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