Lack of training for dentists exposed.

That headline is nothing to smile about. And we all need to smile more often because 99.7% of adults say an attractive smile is an important personal asset. In fact, the very act of smiling can boost your immune and physical health. Even better, smiling is contagious.

So then why are our go-to-smile-makers not paying attention in dental school? Turns out, inquiring minds want to know. We decided to take a DIO dive and get to the bottom of this story.

According to a segment that aired on Arizona's Family — local Phoenix channels 3TV/CBS 5 — reports of problems with dental implants skyrocketed to 477,823 cases last year. The most frequent complaint? Implants fail to bond or lose the bond with the bone. But Dr. James Chaffin from CR Smiles Dental Center in Glendale, Arizona thinks the problem is bigger.

Dr. Chaffin believes that most dentists do not have enough training when it comes to dental implants. The most common problem he sees is that doctors don't always take into consideration issues with the patient's bite or the position of the jaw when placing implants. Even worse, while attending dental school, 74% of students are never taught how to place an implant. It's true that any general dentist can place implants. However, there's no universal requirement for dental students to perform a dental implant procedure as part of their training. Seeking additional training before performing the procedure on patients is optional and up to the dentist's discretion. Wow! That. Is. Scary.

Learn right from the start.

There is a way to reduce the number of dental implant mishaps dramatically. Immediately after dental school — or even current general practitioners — clinicians should continue their education at the DIO Digital Academy. While hands-on, a digitally-guided implant workflow will lead students step-by-step through an entire single-tooth implant procedure. The DIOnavi implantology system ensures accurate placement and delivers consistent outcomes. Those who take the course will become skilled in successful implantology; they learn how to market desired dental implants and then immediately practice what they learned after completion.

By taking this additional learning step, up-and-coming dentists can increase perfect implant placements and decrease the number of complaints. Then, as a collective industry, we can change the negative reporting and get back to journalism that makes us smile.