The American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) has developed a classification system for partial edentulism based on diagnostic findings. This classification system is similar to the classification system for complete edentulism previously developed by the ACP. These guidelines are intended to help practitioners determine appropriate treatments for their patients. Four categories of partial edentulism are defined, Class I to Class IV, with Class I representing an uncomplicated clinical situation and class IV representing a complex clinical situation. Each class is differentiated by specific diagnostic criteria. This system is designed for use by dental professionals involved in the diagnosis and treatment of partially edentulous patients. Potential benefits of the system include (1) improved intraoperator consistency, (2) improved professional communication, (3) insurance reimbursement commensurate with complexity of care, (4) improved screening tool for dental school admission clinics, (5) standardized criteria for outcomes assessment and research, (6) enhanced diagnostic consistency, and (7) simplified aid in the decision to refer a patient.

In 2004, a survey of the deans of U.S. and Canadian dental schools was conducted to determine the implant dentistry curriculum structure and the extent of incorporating implant dentistry clinical treatment into predoctoral programs. The questionnaire was mailed to the deans of the fifty-six dental schools in advance of the ADEA Implant Workshop conference held in Arizona in November 2004. Out of the fifty-six, thirty-nine responded, yielding a response rate of 70 percent. Thirty-eight schools (97 percent) reported that their students received didactic instruction in dental implants, while one school (3 percent) said that its students did not. Thirty schools (86 percent) reported that their students received clinical experience, while five schools (14 percent) reported that theirs did not. Four schools (10 percent) did not respond to this question. Fifty-one percent of the students actually receive the clinical experience in restoring implants, with the range of 5-100 percent. Of those schools that provide clinical experience in restoring implants, four schools (13 percent) reported that it is a requirement for them, while twenty-eight schools (88 percent) reported that it is not a requirement for them. Three schools (9 percent) did not respond. The fee for implants is 45 percent higher than a crown or a denture, with a range of 0-100 percent. Twenty-nine schools (85 percent) indicated that they did receive free components from implant companies, while five schools (15 percent) did not. The conclusions of this report are as follows: 1) most schools have advanced dental education programs; 2) single-tooth implant restorations are performed at the predoctoral level in most schools; 3) implant-retained overdenture prostheses are performed at the predoctoral level in most schools; 4) there is no predoctoral clinical competency requirement for surgical implant placement in all schools that responded to the survey; 5) there is no predoctoral clinical competency requirement for implant prosthodontics in most schools that responded to the survey; 6) prosthodontic specialty faculty are often responsible for teaching implant prosthodontics at the predoctoral level; 7) periodontics and oral and maxillofacial faculty are commonly responsible for teaching implant surgery at the predoctoral level; 8) support from implant companies is common for dental schools, with most providing for implant components at discounted costs; and 9) there is a lack of adequately trained faculty in implant dentistry, which is a significant challenge in providing predoctoral students with clinical experience with dental implants.

The American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) has developed a classification system for partial edentulism based on diagnostic findings. This classification system is similar to the classification system for complete edentulism previously developed by the ACP. These guidelines are intended to help practitioners determine appropriate treatments for their patients. Four categories of partial edentulism are defined, Class I to Class IV, with Class I representing an uncomplicated clinical situation and class IV representing a complex clinical situation. Each class is differentiated by specific diagnostic criteria. This system is designed for use by dental professionals involved in the diagnosis and treatment of partially edentulous patients. Potential benefits of the system include (1) improved intraoperator consistency, (2) improved professional communication, (3) insurance reimbursement commensurate with complexity of care, (4) improved screening tool for dental school admission clinics, (5) standardized criteria for outcomes assessment and research, (6) enhanced diagnostic consistency, and (7) simplified aid in the decision to refer a patient.

A brief mail survey of North American dental schools was undertaken to ascertain the current techniques in complete denture prosthodontics regarding preliminary and final impressions, record bases, and denture teeth. Of the 64 schools surveyed, 54 responded (84%). Seventy-four percent of the respondents used only irreversible hydrocolloid (alginate) for their preliminary impressions; 15% used only modeling plastic impression compound. Eighty-one percent used only modeling plastic impression compound for border molding of the final impression tray; 7% used only polyether impression material. Forty-eight percent used only polysulfide rubber (PR) impression material for their final impression material; 4% used only polyether impression material. Only 1 school still used shellac as one of its materials for record bases. Thirty-five percent used only Triad; 35% used only acrylic resin; 24% used both of these materials. Thirteen percent of responding schools used only nonanatomic teeth. The majority (54%) used all three options (nonanatomic, semianatomic, and anatomic). Eleven percent used lingualized occlusion. As compared with a survey performed in 1985, the use of irreversible hydrocolloid as a preliminary impression material, the use of visible light-cured resins for record bases, and the use of anatomic teeth have increased. The use of plastic impression compound for border molding and PR as the final impression material has largely remained the same.

This survey showed that implant dentistry has become an integral part of the postgraduate prosthodontic curriculum. The trends to incorporate implant placement into the postgraduate prosthodontic curriculum were already evident prior to 2004. To address the demand for implant treatment in patient care and enhance surgical implant knowledge, the ACP in 2005 added placement of implants to its Accreditation Standards for Advanced Specialty Education Programs in Prosthodontics.