A dental implant is not a filling or a crown. It is a titanium post placed into your jawbone, and everything that determines whether it lasts for decades happens below the gumline — bone quality, nerve and sinus anatomy, and how precisely the implant is positioned. That is surgery, and it is worth asking who is doing it.
What An Oral Surgeon's Training Actually Covers
An oral and maxillofacial surgeon completes dental school and then a hospital-based surgical residency lasting four to six years. That residency is spent operating on the jaws and facial structures: extractions, bone reconstruction, facial trauma, pathology, corrective jaw surgery, and anesthesia. Many programs, including the one Dr. Michael Babston completed, also include a medical degree.
Dr. Babston earned his DMD at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, graduated from the UAB School of Medicine in 2014, and served as chief resident of the UAB Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery program from 2016 to 2017 before bringing his practice to the Gulf Coast. That path matters for implants specifically, because implant placement is a bone procedure before it is a cosmetic one.
The Problems That Show Up Below The Gumline
Most implant complications trace back to something anatomical rather than something cosmetic:
- Insufficient bone. Bone begins to resorb as soon as a tooth is lost. If there is not enough height or width to anchor an implant, it needs to be rebuilt โ see bone grafting โ and knowing when grafting is required, and which technique to use, is a surgical judgment.
- Nerve proximity. In the lower jaw, the inferior alveolar nerve runs close to where implants are placed. Injuring it can cause lasting numbness.
- Sinus anatomy. In the upper back jaw, the sinus floor often sits exactly where an implant needs to go, which may call for a sinus lift.
- Active infection. Placing an implant into infected bone risks failure. Sometimes the sequence has to change โ our post on tooth infections: signs, risks, and how oral surgery helps explains why.
Imaging Is Not Optional
Two-dimensional x-rays cannot show bone width or the true position of a nerve canal. CBCT imaging produces a three-dimensional model of the jaw, which lets the surgeon measure available bone, plan the exact angle and depth of each implant, and see complications before they happen rather than during surgery. Read more about how CBCT imaging transforms surgical planning, and see the rest of our technology.
Anesthesia Experience Is Part Of The Package
Oral surgeons are trained in the full range of anesthesia during residency, which is why we can offer IV sedation and general anesthesia in the office rather than referring you elsewhere. For patients who are anxious, or who need several implants placed in one visit, that changes the experience entirely. Our sedation options page covers what is available, and sedation demystified walks through how each type works.
When Complexity Is The Whole Point
A single implant in good bone is a manageable procedure in experienced hands. Full-arch cases, implants next to a sinus, sites that need grafting first, and patients on medications that affect bone healing are a different matter — and those are exactly the cases where surgical training earns its keep.
Longevity depends on getting the foundation right. An implant placed in adequate, healthy bone at the correct angle, restored properly, and maintained with regular hygiene can last for decades. One placed into compromised bone or the wrong position can fail in a few years, and the revision is harder than the original procedure would have been.
Talk To An Oral Surgeon In Mobile
If you are weighing dental implants in Mobile, AL, we will tell you honestly what your case involves โ including whether grafting is needed first. Call or text (251) 758-4700 or contact us. We are at 100 S University Blvd, Suite A in Mobile, open Monday through Thursday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Friday until 2:00 p.m., and same-day consultation and surgery is often possible. You can also read our patient reviews.