Not Every Dentist Is Trained to Rebuild a Whole Mouth.
A Board-Certified Prosthodontist has completed years of additional specialty training focused specifically on full-mouth reconstruction, implant restoration, and bite function — training a general dental degree alone doesn't include.
What Is a Prosthodontist, Exactly?
Prosthodontics is one of the ten dental specialties formally recognized in dentistry — alongside specialties like orthodontics and oral surgery. It's the specialty focused specifically on the restoration and replacement of teeth: full-mouth reconstruction, dental implants, crowns, bridges, and the way all of it fits together to actually function as a bite.
A common misconception is that prosthodontists only handle the "restorative" side — the crowns and final teeth — while surgery belongs strictly to someone else. In reality, prosthodontic residency training includes surgical training as well, including implant placement itself and pre-prosthetic surgical procedures — the bone and soft-tissue work that prepares a site for a restoration to actually succeed. Many board-certified prosthodontists, including Dr. Jandali, are trained to both place implants surgically and design the restoration that goes on them — not just one half of the process.
Becoming board-certified means completing a general dental degree first, then an additional 3–4 year specialty residency covering this full scope — surgical and restorative alike — followed by rigorous board examinations. It's a credential a general dentist — even a very good one — has not completed, because it isn't part of the standard dental school curriculum.
General Dentist vs. Oral Surgeon vs. Prosthodontist
Full-arch implant treatment typically involves more than one type of provider. Understanding the difference helps you know who's actually planning and delivering your final result.
| Role | Primary training focus | In a full-arch implant case |
|---|---|---|
| General Dentist | Broad, general dental care — cleanings, fillings, basic restorative work across all areas of dentistry | May coordinate care, but full-mouth implant reconstruction is typically outside standard general dentistry training |
| Oral Surgeon | Surgical training — extractions, bone grafting, and implant placement itself | Often handles the surgical placement of the implants into the jawbone |
| Prosthodontist | Specialty residency covering full-mouth restoration, occlusion (bite), esthetics, and long-term functional planning — alongside surgical training in implant placement and pre-prosthetic procedures | Plans the entire case; often places the implants surgically and always designs, fits, and delivers the final teeth that go on them |
Dr. Jandali is a Board-Certified Prosthodontist who personally treats every patient — not a rotating network of providers. Prosthodontic training includes surgical implant placement and pre-prosthetic surgery, not restorative work alone. Some practices divide these roles across a large staff; others, including some corporate chains, involve multiple specialists on a single case. Ask any provider directly which specialist is planning, placing, and delivering your specific final result.
What a Prosthodontist Is Actually Trained to Get Right
Occlusion — How Your Bite Actually Works
Full-mouth reconstruction isn't just about placing teeth — it's about how the upper and lower arches meet, function, and distribute force without causing problems down the line.
Long-Term Restoration Planning
Prosthodontic training centers on designing restorations meant to function and last for years — not just look right on the day they're delivered.
Esthetics That Fit Your Face
Tooth size, shape, and smile design are core prosthodontic training — not an afterthought bolted onto a surgical procedure.
Complex and Failed Case Management
Prosthodontists are frequently the specialist other dentists refer their hardest cases to — including cases where previous treatment elsewhere didn't work out.
Material Science & Restoration Selection
Choosing between provisional resin and final zirconia, and understanding how and when each should be used, is prosthodontic-specific training.
Coordinating the Whole Case
When surgery, healing, and final restoration all need to work together as one plan, prosthodontic training is what ties it into a single coherent outcome.
Surgically Trained, Not Just Restorative
Prosthodontic residency includes hands-on surgical training in implant placement and pre-prosthetic procedures — the scope goes well beyond designing and delivering the final teeth.
A Career Built Specifically Around This Specialty
DMD, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
Dental degree earned — the beginning of over 30 years in dentistry.
MS in Prosthodontics, University at Buffalo
Specialty residency training focused entirely on full-mouth reconstruction and restorative dentistry.
Fellowship, Maxillofacial Prosthetics & Dental Oncology
Roswell Park Cancer Institute — advanced training in complex, high-stakes restorative cases.
Board-Certified, American Board of Prosthodontics
25+ years board-certified, following completion of the specialty's rigorous certification examinations.
Program Director, Advanced Specialty Education Program in Prosthodontics
John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit — established the program in 2002 and directed it for 17 years, training specialists in the same full scope of restorative and surgical prosthodontic care.
Fellow, American College of Prosthodontists
Recognized fellowship status within the specialty's professional college.
Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor, University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Dept. of Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics — actively teaching the next generation of the specialty.
Affiliated Faculty, Henry Ford Health System
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Program — hosting OMFS chief residents to build prosthodontic and surgical implant experience.
One Specialist, Treating You Personally
Every case reviewed and treated by Dr. Jandali himself
Not a rotating network of providers, and not a premium tier you have to pay extra for — every patient gets the same specialist, at the standard fee.
Second opinions and failed cases welcome
Complex or previously unsuccessful cases are a regular part of prosthodontic specialty training — many patients told they weren't candidates elsewhere have received treatment here.
The full case, planned as one coherent whole
From the initial CBCT scan through final zirconia delivery, the same specialist is planning and overseeing every stage — not handing you off between disconnected providers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some general dentists do place implants, often with additional continuing education. But full-mouth reconstruction — planning bite function, esthetics, and long-term restoration across an entire arch — is specifically what a prosthodontics residency trains for. It's worth asking any provider directly about their specific training for full-arch cases.
No — it varies significantly by practice. Some corporate chains and networks do involve board-certified prosthodontists; others rely more heavily on general dentists, sometimes bringing in an outside lab technician for fabrication. Always ask directly which specialist is planning and delivering your specific case.
Broadly, an oral surgeon focuses on the surgical placement of implants into the bone, while a prosthodontist plans the overall case and designs, fits, and delivers the final teeth. Dr. Jandali's prosthodontic training also includes extensive implant planning and placement experience.
Dr. Jandali treats every patient personally, at every stage of care — there's no rotating network of providers and no premium tier required to access him directly.
Start With a Free Consultation
Meet with a Board-Certified Prosthodontist directly — no rotating network, no premium tier, just a specialist personally planning your case from the start.
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