"Prosthodontist" gets used loosely in implant marketing — sometimes accurately, sometimes as a word that just sounds impressive next to a stock photo. If you're about to commit to full-arch or full-mouth implant treatment, it's worth knowing exactly what the credential requires, because the gap in training between a general dentist and a Board-Certified Prosthodontist is larger than most patients realize.

What a general dentist does

A general dentist completes dental school (DDS or DMD) and is fully qualified for the broad, everyday work of dentistry: exams, cleanings, fillings, root canals, and often single crowns or straightforward implant placement. Many general dentists are excellent at this scope of care. Some also place implants after completing weekend or short-course continuing education programs — which is very different from a full residency.

What a prosthodontist trains for

A prosthodontist completes the same dental degree, then an additional three to four years of hospital-based specialty residency focused specifically on restoring and replacing teeth — full-mouth reconstruction, complex bite mechanics, and implant-supported prosthetics. It's one of only nine dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association.

Being board-certified goes a step further still: it means passing written and oral examinations administered by the American Board of Prosthodontics, on top of residency. It's optional — many prosthodontists never pursue it — which is exactly why it's a meaningful signal when a specialist has it.

General Dentist

  • 4 years dental school
  • Broad, everyday scope of care
  • Implant training varies widely — from none to short courses to extensive experience

Board-Certified Prosthodontist

  • 4 years dental school + 3–4 years hospital-based residency
  • Specialty focused entirely on tooth restoration and replacement
  • Passed written and oral board examinations (optional, beyond residency)

Why it matters most for full-arch cases specifically

For a single filling, the gap in training rarely shows up in the outcome. For full-arch and full-mouth implant cases, it shows up constantly — in how the bite is engineered across an entire arch, how the smile is designed to look natural rather than uniform, and how complications are anticipated before they happen rather than corrected after. This is the specific scope of care a prosthodontic residency is built around.

Dr. Jandali's credentials, in full

  • DMD, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine (1995)
  • MS in Prosthodontics, University at Buffalo
  • Fellowship, Maxillofacial Prosthetics & Dental Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute (1997–98)
  • Board-Certified, American Board of Prosthodontics, since 2001 — 25+ years
  • Fellow, American College of Prosthodontists (FACP)
  • Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics, University of Michigan School of Dentistry
  • Affiliated faculty, Henry Ford Health System Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Program, hosting OMFS chief residents

30+ years in dentistry since graduating in 1995, and 27+ years practicing in Metro Detroit since founding the practice in Southfield in 1998 — not a corporate network doctor rotating between locations, but the same specialist reviewing every case personally.

What to actually ask before you choose a provider

  • Is the doctor performing my case board-certified, and in what specialty?
  • Will the same doctor who does my consultation also place my implants and design my final restoration?
  • How many years has this specific doctor — not the company — been practicing full-arch implant dentistry?

Come see the difference a specialist-led, board-certified evaluation looks like — free CBCT scan included.

Call (248) 955-9000
RJ

Dr. Rami Jandali, DMD, MS, FACP

Board-Certified Prosthodontist (American Board of Prosthodontics, since 2001) and Fellow of the American College of Prosthodontists. Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. Practicing in Metro Detroit for over 27 years.