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Brighton & Sussex Medical School

Implant Dentistry Training UK: Sami Stagnell on the BSMS Postgraduate Diploma

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A Structured Path into Implant Dentistry

My perspective on the BSMS Postgraduate Diploma, by Sami Stagnell – Course Leader, Specialist Oral Surgeon and Implant Dentist.

Entering implant dentistry can feel overwhelming. As a clinician, you’re faced with countless short courses and training pathways – but many lack the structure, mentorship and real clinical exposure needed to build long-term confidence.

From my own experience in oral surgery and implant dentistry, I’ve learned that success in this field is built on strong foundations, not quick fixes. That’s why I believe the Postgraduate Diploma in Dental Implant Reconstructive Surgery at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) offers one of the most comprehensive and clinically relevant implant training pathways in the UK. 

This university-led implant dentistry course is designed to take clinicians from first principles through to confident, independent practice – through structured teaching, mentorship and supervised patient care.

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANELA trio of images, from left: a dental cast, held by someone in green scubs; a portrait photo of Sami Stagnell, BSMS Course Leader; a photo of a tooth implant in a dental cast.

Why Foundation Training Matters in Implant Dentistry

One of the biggest challenges I see among clinicians starting out in implant dentistry is a lack of structured grounding. Implant placement is not just a surgical skill – it requires careful diagnosis, restorative planning, and risk management.

The first two modules of the BSMS Diploma provide exactly that foundation.

Module 1: Patient Assessment, Treatment Planning and Surgical Principles

This is where clinicians learn how to approach implant dentistry properly. The focus is on:

  • Comprehensive patient assessment
  • CBCT and radiographic interpretation
  • Case selection and complexity assessment
  • Surgical principles and workflows.

In my view, developing strong clinical reasoning at this stage is critical. The programme combines lectures, hands-on simulation, and live surgery observation, supported by ongoing mentorship and competency-based assessments.

It’s this structure that helps clinicians move beyond theory and start thinking like implant dentists.

Module 2: Occlusion and Restorative Implant Dentistry

If there’s one principle I emphasise in my own practice, it’s this: implant dentistry is restorative-led.

Module 2 builds this understanding early, focusing on:

  • Occlusion in implant dentistry
  • Prosthetically driven treatment planning
  • Functional and aesthetic outcomes.

Before placing an implant, clinicians need to understand the end result – how the restoration will function, how occlusion is balanced and how prosthetic design influences implant positioning.

This is what separates predictable implant dentistry from problematic outcomes.

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 Building surgical confidence through modules 3 and 4

Once clinicians have developed strong foundations in diagnosis, treatment planning and restorative principles, the next stage of the diploma focuses on the biological, surgical and digital concepts that support more complex implant treatment.

Module 3: Bone Preservation, Grafting and Soft Tissue Management

Module 3 explores the principles that underpin long-term implant success, including ridge preservation, bone grafting, guided bone regeneration and soft tissue management. Through a combination of teaching, hands-on training and supervised clinical exposure, clinicians develop a deeper understanding of how to support predictable treatment outcomes.

Module 4: Digital Workflows and Emerging Techniques

Modern implant dentistry increasingly relies on digital planning, and this is intentionally introduced at this stage of the programme. Clinicians learn how digital workflows can support diagnosis, treatment planning and surgical accuracy, including the use of CBCT imaging, prosthetically driven planning and surgical guides.

In my view, introducing these digital concepts before clinicians progress to more advanced surgery is important. It helps ensure digital workflows become an integral part of everyday implant practice rather than an afterthought.

From Foundations to Advanced Practice

Together, modules 3 and 4 represent an important transition point in the diploma. Clinicians begin applying regenerative, surgical and digital principles to increasingly complex cases, helping them progress from foundational knowledge towards confident, predictable implant practice.

Early Clinical Experience: Learning Implant Dentistry in Practice

A key advantage of the BSMS implant diploma is its emphasis on real patient experience early in training.

Clinicians are supported to begin treating patients within their own practices, with:

  • Case vetting and suitability checks
  • Mentored treatment planning
  • Supervised surgical and restorative care.

In my experience, this continuity of care is where real confidence develops. It allows clinicians to apply what they learn immediately, rather than waiting until the end of a course.

From Competence to Confidence in Implant Dentistry

Throughout the course, clinicians continue treating patients under supervision, gradually increasing case complexity. By the end of the BSMS Postgraduate Diploma, clinicians will have:

  • A structured approach to implant diagnosis and treatment planning
  • Experience managing a range of implant cases
  • Confidence in surgical and restorative workflows
  • An understanding of digital and regenerative techniques
  • The ability to safely introduce or expand implant dentistry within practice.

In my view, this is what high-quality implant training should deliver – not quick results, but safe, predictable and reflective clinical practice.

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A leading implant dentistry course in the UK

Brighton and Sussex Medical School's implant course stands out because it combines:

  • University-led teaching
  • Mentorship from experienced clinicians
  • Supervised clinical experience
  • A clear progression from beginner to advanced levels.

For any dentist looking to start or advance their career in implant dentistry in the UK, this programme provides a structured and credible pathway.

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Find Out More

Clinicians can enrol on individual modules or complete the full Postgraduate Diploma pathway.

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