As dental implants are procedures which take a lot of time, money and require attention to your own needs, you need to be at ease with the dentist who performs your procedure. Being certain that the dentist is qualified and trained is necessary because the process involves testing, examination, surgery and designing some of the implant parts according to your measurements and needs. How do you go about finding the right dentist? This varies depending on where you are, but here are common steps.
Access Governing councils or bodies
Countries’ rules may differ and whether or not it is mandatory to get certified by a Council or Association which acts as an official body for dentists. Check what the scenario in your country is. In the United 
States of America, the American Academy of Implant Dentistry provides credentials for patients looking for dental implant specialists. This credential comes after testing, education and training that dentists undertake.
For some people, this may increase their trust, or it may not affect their perception of how good a dentist is if they are members or not. In countries in which healthcare and dental care are mostly public sector focused, like the UK, there is a General Dental Council which acts as a governing body. Research online for what the situation is in your country, or if you wish for cost considerations to perform the dental implant in a different country, contact authorities or government agencies relevant to dentistry profession.
Visit dental health clinics
Health clinics or hospitals operate by employing healthcare professionals in ranging medical fields. They hold, thus, a legal responsibility for investigating how fit dentists are to provide services. You need to balance this against costs of visiting independent ones.
Talk to your dentist
Talk to your dentist, and don’t be afraid to ask for his/her credentials or certificates. With dental as with other healthcare problems, you have to know what to look for so educate yourself and explore second opinion if needs be.
What to look for
In general you need to be confident about the following,
- The education and training in dental implants
- The number of implants the dentist performed
- What are the tools, techniques used to evaluate your needs
- steps will need to be taken for my treatment
- What are the materials that will be used and what implant crown, bridge or denture?
- What is the pain expected, recovery time and complications?
- What will be the benefits for me?
It might also put you at ease to ask for pictures of before and after for previous patients, if that is possible