Alternatives to US implant courses with live patients: 8 options compared (2026)

Last updated: 28 October 2026 · By the Digital Implant Association (DIA) team

Disclosure: Implants Academy (DIA Brazil) is our programme, and it is one of the options below. Everything we say about other providers comes from their own public pages, checked on 26 October 2026; course dates were re-checked on 28 October 2026. No provider paid to be included. Details change, so confirm with each provider before you book.

Quick answer

For qualified dentists comparing alternatives to US implant courses, these eight options offer live-patient training outside the US. Compare implants you personally place, days treating patients, group size, supervision, CE/CPD, inclusions and support after returning home. Assisting and observing should be counted separately from personal placements.

The providers publish different formats and placement commitments; some leave key details unpublished. This comparison focuses on courses held outside the US. The Nobel Biocare / FOR option is an intermediate-style, two-part programme; DIA Brazil is a founding beginner programme with enrollment closed and a waitlist only.

Option	Format	Days	Implants you place yourself	Group size	City / country	Price	CE/CPD
Expert Dental Solutions	Live surgery	4	Minimum 20; page also states 20+	6	Rio de Janeiro / São Paulo, Brazil	See provider	32 credits; AGD code 690, per provider
Implant Mastery Academy	Theory/models; live patients	5; 4 patient days	up to 30 / 30+ (both figures appear on the page)	6	São Paulo, Brazil	See provider	not published
American Dental Institute	Standard / VIP live patients	3	Standard: not published; VIP: 15+	Standard: 12; VIP: maximum 3	São Paulo / Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	See provider	27 credits; VIP AGD approved, per ADI
ITC Seminars	Tracks; live surgery	4; 3 surgical	3–5 / 10–12 / 14–16 / unlimited, by track	Maximum 4	Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Brazil, Mexico	See provider	40 CE credits (per ITC: ADA, AGD, CA and FL boards)
ICORI	Beginner live surgery	5 training	25 (up to 30 with the add-on option)	2–3	About 2 hours from Rio, Brazil	See provider	not published
Med Dent EDU	Basic/intermediate; live patients	not published	No set number (per provider)	3–4	Primarily Dominican Republic; city not published	See provider	not published
Nobel Biocare / FOR	Two-part; theory/practical and live surgery	4 + 5	not published	not published	Module 1: Sassuolo, Italy; Module 2: Santos, Brazil	See provider	not published
DIA Brazil	Beginner; supervised live surgery	5 surgical	Minimum 20 per approved clinical participant	15 founding seats	Brazil (city, venue and dates to be confirmed)	See provider	No accredited CE-hour claim currently made

Competitor figures in both tables are as stated on their own pages. ADI's standard and VIP courses are shown together as one option.

How we chose

We used each provider's own public pages, checked on 26 October 2026 (dates re-checked on 28 October 2026), keeping personal placements separate from assistance and recording unknown fields as “not published.” These are options to compare, not a ranking of clinical outcomes. The selection includes beginner formats and identifies the two-part intermediate-style programme separately.

Ask how placement counts are recorded, how supervision works, how many days involve patients and what support follows training. Compare group size alongside the stated instructor ratio. Confirm patient-treatment authorization, dates, inclusions and CE/CPD directly with each provider before booking.

1. Expert Dental Solutions

According to its Intensive Dental Implant Training page, Expert Dental Solutions offers four days of live surgery on real patients, customised to experience level. The page states both “20+ implant placements per participant” and a minimum of 20 implants per doctor. Groups are limited to six participants, with one-on-one mentorship.

Its two Brazilian training sites are Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo; the published 2027 dates listed here are in Rio. The page states 32 credits, AGD code 690. Included items are five hotel nights with breakfast, a final-day dinner and post-course mentorship for participants' first cases.

Good for: Dentists comparing a four-day format with a stated personal-placement minimum.

Watch out: Confirm the site for your cohort; the listed 2027 dates are in Rio.

2. Implant Mastery Academy

According to its Brazil course page, Implant Mastery Academy runs a five-day programme in São Paulo: day one covers theory and models, followed by four days on real patients. It lists six seats and a 2:1 student-to-instructor ratio. The next published dates are January 25–29, 2027.

The placement wording needs clarification: up to 30 / 30+ (both figures appear on the page). Accommodation, meals, transport and a gala dinner are included. Its FAQ lists a certificate of completion; CE/CPD credits are not published.

Good for: Dentists seeking four patient days within a five-day programme and a stated supervision ratio.

Watch out: Ask the provider to reconcile the two personal-placement figures before booking.

3. American Dental Institute

According to ADI's course pages and comparison, its standard Single Implant Live Patient course lasts three days in São Paulo. Participants work as main surgeon or assistant; a personal-placement count is not published. The standard group has 12 dentists and one instructor per two students. ADI states 27 CE credits and includes lodging, meals, a GRU airport shuttle and a pre-course pig-jaw session at ADI. Published dates include November 3–5, 2026.

The VIP format lasts three days in Rio de Janeiro, with a maximum of three dentists, 15+ implants and 27 CE credits described as AGD approved.

Good for: Dentists comparing standard and smaller-group VIP formats from one provider.

Watch out: Standard-course surgeon and assistant roles do not establish a personal-placement total; confirm inclusions separately for VIP.

4. ITC Seminars

According to its course page, ITC's four-day programme includes three days of live surgery, a 1:1 instructor arrangement and a maximum of four participants. Placement tracks are 3–5, 10–12, 14–16 or unlimited implants. The next listed dates are November 16–19, 2026 at UPANA in Guatemala.

The page also lists partner sites in El Salvador, Honduras, Brazil and Mexico, with Brazil dates of April 12–15, 2027. Its CE statement is 40 CE credits (per ITC: ADA, AGD, CA and FL boards). ITC states that a temporary dental licence is issued through the host university and health authorities.

Good for: Dentists comparing different placement tracks with a small published group limit.

Watch out: Confirm the selected track, host site and treatment-authorization arrangements in writing; inclusions are not published on the course page.

5. ICORI

According to ICORI's programmes page, its beginner course includes 25 personal placements and assistance on 25–50 more, with an option for five additional placements: 25 (up to 30 with the add-on option). Training runs Monday to Friday, preceded by a tourist weekend in Rio. Its FAQ places the training centre about two hours from Rio.

ICORI lists groups of two to three dentists and English as the official language. Inclusions cover eight nights' accommodation, daily hotel breakfast, lunch at the clinic on training days, transfers, implants, materials and learning support after training. Requirements include a dental degree, registration number and general dentistry experience.

Good for: Dentists seeking a small group and separately stated placement and assistance counts.

Watch out: Dates are on request. The diploma records 50 surgical hours; CE/CPD credits are not published.

6. Med Dent EDU

According to its Implant Placement Course #1 page and FAQ, Med Dent EDU offers basic and intermediate implantology with live patients, primarily in the Dominican Republic. Courses have three to four dentists, with one chair each. The provider does not commit to a specific implant count because placements depend on patients: No set number (per provider).

Listed inclusions cover a four- to five-star hotel, meals and group dinners, ground transport and airport shuttle, clinic access, implants, surgical materials and a certificate of completion. Flights are excluded. Course length and CE/CPD credits are not published on the pages checked.

Good for: Dentists comparing small-group formats with a chair for each participant.

Watch out: Confirm duration, dates and expected clinical opportunities directly; no personal-placement total is committed.

7. Nobel Biocare / FOR

According to the FOR course page, “Mastering implant surgery and prosthetic rehabilitation” comprises two modules taught in English. Module one is a four-day theoretical-practical course; the page lists it in Sassuolo, Italy, with a date that has already passed. Module two is a five-day course on real patients in Santos, Brazil, on November 16–20, 2026, covering planning through surgical execution.

This is an intermediate-style programme that includes soft-tissue and bone augmentation topics, rather than a specifically first-implant course. Personal-placement numbers, group size, CE/CPD and inclusions are not published on the course page.

Good for: Dentists considering a two-part programme that includes augmentation topics.

Watch out: Clarify suitability for your experience, module-one dates and logistics and personal surgical participation before booking.

8. DIA Brazil — Implants Academy

Our English beginner programme offers qualified dentists five supervised surgical days, with a minimum of 20 implants personally placed per approved clinical participant. Patient needs and safety take priority. If you complete the clinical programme below 20 placements, DIA offers one further available cohort at no additional course fee (tuition only); repeat travel, accommodation, meals and transfers are separate.

Support includes 12 months of mentorship, review of your first 15 suitable home-case plans, and an equipment/workflow blueprint. Six months of DIA membership is included, with no automatic renewal. Questions: courses@implantsacademy.com.

Good for: Dentists seeking a personal placement log, daily debriefs and structured support after returning home.

Watch out: This founding cohort has 15 seats, larger than several groups above. Brazil (city, venue and dates to be confirmed). No accredited CE-hour claim is currently made for this programme. Enrollment is closed; waitlist requests involve no payment and reserve no seat. Clinical authorization arrangements are still being finalized.

Full comparison

Option	Days	Implants you place yourself	Group size	Location	CE/CPD	What is included	Next published date
Expert Dental Solutions	4	Minimum 20; page also states 20+	6	Rio de Janeiro / São Paulo, Brazil	32 credits; AGD code 690, per provider	Five hotel nights, breakfast, final dinner, first-case mentorship	February 24–27, 2027; Rio
Implant Mastery Academy	5; 4 patient days	up to 30 / 30+ (both figures appear on the page)	6	São Paulo, Brazil	not published	Accommodation, meals, transport, gala dinner; completion certificate per FAQ	January 25–29, 2027
American Dental Institute	3	Standard: not published; VIP: 15+	Standard: 12; VIP: maximum 3	Standard: São Paulo; VIP: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	27 credits; VIP AGD approved, per ADI	Standard: lodging, meals, GRU shuttle, pig-jaw session; VIP: not published	Standard: November 3–5, 2026; VIP: not published
ITC Seminars	4; 3 surgical	3–5 / 10–12 / 14–16 / unlimited, by track	Maximum 4	Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Brazil, Mexico	40 CE credits (per ITC: ADA, AGD, CA and FL boards)	not published	November 16–19, 2026; UPANA, Guatemala
ICORI	5 training	25 (up to 30 with the add-on option)	2–3	About 2 hours from Rio, Brazil	not published; diploma records 50 surgical hours	Eight nights, breakfast, clinic lunches, transfers, implants, materials, learning support	On request
Med Dent EDU	not published	No set number (per provider)	3–4	Primarily Dominican Republic; city not published	not published	Hotel, meals, transport/airport shuttle, clinic, implants, materials, completion certificate	not published
Nobel Biocare / FOR	4 + 5	not published	not published	Module 1: Sassuolo, Italy; Module 2: Santos, Brazil	not published	not published	Module 2: November 16–20, 2026; Module 1: no future date published
DIA Brazil	5 surgical	Minimum 20 per approved clinical participant	15 founding seats	Brazil (city, venue and dates to be confirmed)	No accredited CE-hour claim currently made	Materials/instruments, six nights, training meals, clinic transfers, debriefs, log, mentorship, membership	To be confirmed (waitlist open)

For DIA, training meals mean breakfast, lunch and dinner on the five training days; clinic transfers run between accommodation and clinic. Flights, airport transfers, visas, insurance and personal expenses are excluded. Fees are provided in the enrollment information.

FAQ

Do I need a licence to treat patients on a course abroad?

Requirements depend on the country and host institution. Ask each provider in writing how patient treatment is authorized. ITC states that participants receive a temporary dental licence through the host university and health authorities. A DIA course place alone does not authorize treatment: participation depends on professional documents, applicable Brazilian requirements, host-clinic approval and appropriate insurance. These arrangements are still being finalized. DIA training confers neither a specialist title nor a licence to practise.

How many implants should I place on a beginner course?

There is no universal number to apply across these options. Compare implants you personally place with those you assist on or observe, and ask how the count is recorded. ADI's standard page describes surgeon or assistant roles without publishing a personal-placement count. Med Dent EDU states no set number. DIA records personal placements in a placement log, with patient needs and safety taking priority over its programme count.

Are CE credits included?

Published statements vary. Expert Dental Solutions states 32 credits, AGD code 690; ADI states 27 CE credits, with its VIP course described as AGD approved. ITC states 40 CE credits and lists ADA, AGD, California and Florida board accreditation. CE/CPD credits for Implant Mastery Academy, ICORI, Med Dent EDU and Nobel Biocare / FOR are not published on the pages we checked. DIA makes no accredited CE-hour claim. A completion certificate or surgical-hours diploma should be compared separately from stated CE/CPD credits.

What is included besides tuition?

Compare accommodation nights, meals, transport, surgical materials and support after training individually. For example, Expert Dental Solutions lists five hotel nights with breakfast; ICORI lists eight nights with breakfast, and lunch at the clinic on training days. DIA includes six nights, three meals on training days and accommodation-to-clinic transfers. Med Dent EDU explicitly excludes flights. DIA excludes flights, airport transfers, visas, insurance and personal expenses. Ask providers to confirm any inclusion not published here.

Why is there no price in this comparison?

Fees change, and the programmes include different items. The summary therefore directs you to each provider for current information. Request the current enrollment information or a written quote, then compare the stated accommodation, meals, transport, materials and follow-up support alongside the clinical format. DIA fees are provided in the enrollment information; enrollment is currently closed, and joining its waitlist is only a request for information that reserves no seat.