Prosthodontist or General Dentist for Implants?
A Prosthodontist is a dental specialist in replacing and rebuilding teeth, with three years of training beyond dental school. What that difference actually means for a patient in New York, and when it matters.
Many dental practices in Manhattan offer implants and cosmetic work, and most of them are general practices. Here is what the difference in training means for you.
What a Prosthodontist is
Prosthodontics is one of the dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association. It is the specialty concerned with replacing and reconstructing teeth, and it requires three years of accredited specialty training after dental school, on top of the four years of dental school itself.
Board certification is a further, voluntary step. Roughly 3 in 10 prosthodontists are board certified by the American Board of Prosthodontics (about 1,095 active Diplomates, per the ABP in June 2026, against about 3,540 prosthodontists in the ADA’s 2024 workforce data). The American Board of Prosthodontics examines candidates in four parts. Someone who has completed it is a Diplomate of the Board.
Where the difference actually shows
For a single filling, or a routine cleaning, the difference is smaller. Good general dentists do that work well every day. What a specialist adds is that everyday care is planned with the long term in mind, which is why many patients keep a Prosthodontist as their regular dentist rather than waiting for a problem.
It shows most in two situations.
When the case is large. Replacing one tooth is a contained problem. Replacing a full arch is a design problem: where the implants go, how the bridge is shaped, how it supports the lip, how it will be cleaned in five years, how it can be repaired without replacing all of it. Those decisions are made before any surgery, and they determine whether the result lasts.
When the bite has changed. Teeth that have worn down over decades change the way the jaws close. Restoring individual teeth into a collapsed bite produces work that keeps breaking, because the underlying problem was never addressed.
The question worth asking
Not “are you a specialist”, but “how will this be planned?”
The answer you want is that the finished result gets designed first, and the treatment works backwards from it. Planning that way is what makes the finished teeth easy to clean, built to last, and look like they belong to the person wearing them.
What this practice is
Dr. Kunal Lal is a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics, certified in 2006. He earned his master’s in Prosthodontics and his DDS at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, taught there from 2002 to 2010, and directed its graduate Prosthodontics program from 2005 to 2008.
If you are weighing up a large piece of treatment and want a second view on how it should be planned, that is a reasonable thing to book a consultation for. It does not commit you to anything.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Prosthodontist better than a general dentist? +
Not better, different. General dentists handle the full range of everyday care and many place implants competently. A Prosthodontist has three additional years of training specifically in replacing and rebuilding teeth, which matters most when a case is complex, such as a full arch or a collapsed bite. A Prosthodontist can also be your regular dentist for everyday care.
How do I know if a dentist is actually a Prosthodontist? +
Prosthodontics is one of the dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association, so it is verifiable rather than a matter of self-description. Ask whether they completed an accredited postgraduate Prosthodontics program, and whether they are a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics, which is a further examined step beyond the specialty itself.
Do I need a referral to see a Prosthodontist? +
No. Many patients are referred by their general dentist, but you can make an appointment directly.
Will treatment cost more with a specialist? +
Sometimes, and it depends on the case rather than the title. What any practice should give you either way is a written plan with the sequence, the stages and the costs set out before treatment begins.
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