Implant therapy is a well-established treatment modality but global provision is still limited. As an invasive procedure, it is not without potential risk to the patient. New providers should therefore receive comprehensive education from the outset. The fastest growing group of providers are general dental practitioners who have to fit education in around their working hours in daytime practice. Online education offers flexibility with global access 24/7 to the didactic elements of implant dentistry and with options of different formats to suit different learning styles and preferences. Amongst the increasing amount of implant information on offer online, a high quality online education offering will stand out by its evidence-based and peer-reviewed content, predetermined learning outcomes and mapping to recognized learner levels. Online education should therefore clearly convey for whom it is intended, why its mode of delivery is helpful, what the user can and cannot expect from it and how the content is presented and structured. Implant therapy by default requires hands-on clinical training and online education should also supply examples of where it can be readily combined with blended learning programs that offer the structured, contact element of teaching in a clinical setting.
Dental implant therapy is well established across a wide range of dental indications. Treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction compare favorably with conventional dental treatment modalities to restore and replace teeth. Even so, global provision of dental implant therapy is still fairly limited but this is forecast to change with a projected compound annual growth rate of the implant market of 7.2% in the period from 2016 to 2021 (Marketsandmarkets.com 2016).
As an invasive treatment, implant therapy is not without risk to the patient and as a matter of safety, expansion of the worldwide number of providers of implant treatment should be underpinned by both appropriate introductory as well as ongoing education. In the early days of implant dentistry, training was largely offered by implant manufacturers and in the form of weekend courses. It is well recognized now that education in a discipline of this magnitude is a lifelong process rather than a single event (Dental Protection UK 2015).
Digital media and internet-based or online learning options have introduced flexibility for the delivery of education. Whilst they cannot provide or indeed replace the hands-on clinical element of training in a clinical discipline such as implant therapy, they can serve as a significant, adjunct learning tool in the overall training. They can also remove geographical barriers to access and they offer a variety of aural and visual learning modes to suit different learning styles and preferences. For the theory and principles elements of implant dentistry, they have the potential to optimize delivery of education in line with an effective learning strategy of 'just what I need, just in time' (Singh & Reed 2001).
There is a steadily increasing amount of implant material available online and it may seem that there is indeed something for everyone. To qualify as high quality online education in implant dentistry, however, it is important that the provider clearly defines the "who, why, what, how and where" as the basis of the education they offer (Guierrez 2017).